Heavy
by KatsyKat
Summary: My take on a very cliché theme of Winry getting hurt when the brothers are magically in town... with my own twist. Loosely based on a true story. WARNING: little to no plot ahead. Beware the HIGH levels of EdWin Fluff!
1. Chapter 1

**Heavy**

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Summary: My take on a very cliché theme of Winry getting hurt when the brothers are magically in town... with my own twist. Loosely based on a true story. :D

Chapter 1 (I've decided that I SUCK at naming chapters and I'm no longer going to try.)

* * *

Winry had barely tightened the last screw on Ed's forearm when he jumped up from her work bench. If she'd had a lighter grip on her screwdriver, it would have been sailing across the room. As if was, she had to juggle to keep it from the floor as she stumbled back to make room for Ed to stand up. 

"Feels great." Ed flexed his arm as if showing off his metallic bicep. "Just in time to spar with Al before it gets dark, too. You're the best!" He called over his shoulder as he, in typical Ed style, sprinted out of her workshop without a proper thank you.

Winry sighed. Some things never change.

"You're welcome." She grumbled, after he left.

She was getting better with disappointment, she decided. A year ago she'd be screaming and throwing a wrench at him for his rudeness. Now she was only mildly put-out by the lack of appreciation for her two straight days of hard work to repair the appendage. As if thinking about her lack of sleep reminded her, a jaw-cracking yawn burst from her mouth.

She should have known better than to reconnect the arm earlier in the afternoon and expect Ed to sit through the minor plate adjustments rather than do it all before it was attached. It was only that he'd been so eager to have her attach it as soon as possible. Ed and Al had train tickets to return to Central tomorrow. And Winry supposed he didn't want to spend his last night in agony from the reattachment.

She was never able to refuse him something that was in her power to do. Even when she wanted to delay his repairs if only to have a little more time with her friends, she still pushed herself to meet their insane time constraints.

Winry shook her head with a knowing smile. Ed didn't do well with sitting still for the long period of time it took her to weld the last metal pieces together. He'd gotten on her nerves in the last hour, repeatedly tapping his automail foot just because it make more noise on the concrete floor than his flesh foot. When would she learn?

Looking across her messy table, her smile fell. She'd forgotten to ask Ed to help her haul a box of spare parts back to the basement. She'd brought it up earlier in the afternoon when Ed was recouping from the attachment, because she needed some insulated wire covers, but the heavy box had turned out to have everything but. She'd wasted her time and effort hauling it up and emptying it.

More than a little annoyed, but unable to figure out if it was aimed at Ed for never offering to help or at herself for forgetting to ask him, Winry threw the items back into the box in a flurry. Wires, splitters, metal boxes, and even some welding rods all went into the box with no order. A spool of almost gone 12-gauge blue wire was tossed in and snagged on the edge of the box. Winry threw a rod on top of it and saw the spool disappear into the box after loosening enough for a small coil of wire to poke out of the top.

Unconcerned with the many small bits sticking out of the top of the box, Winry looked for a marker. She rationalized that the box was hardly organized to begin with since it hadn't even contained what it said it did on the outside of the box, so it didn't matter if she put it away neatly or not. Pinako would probably razz her when she discovered it, but Winry didn't care.

Finally finding a marker in her pencil tin, the blonde crossed out some words and wrote down the few new items she'd added, on the side of the box. Tossing the marker a few short feet, Winry smiled when she heard the satisfying clunk of the marker landing in the tin. Score for her.

Winry bent at the knees and slid her hands under the front corners of the box tilting it back into her stomach. As she straightened her knees, she was forced to move her left hand to steady the back of the box and stumbled for a second under its weight.

Was it this heavy earlier? She wondered. She hadn't added many things. But she supposed the several pieces of metal she did put in could have been a bit much. Still, now that she had it in her grip and the bottom wasn't going to fall out – there was no point in putting it down to wait for Ed or Al to return.

She couldn't quite see over the front edge of the box to check the clock on her workbench so Winry glanced out the window. The sun wouldn't set for another two hours or so. Better to get this done now, and then she could get started on something for Ed to eat when he returned.

Her grandmother was at a client's house for the night. The man wasn't doing so well after recouping from his 2nd bout of automail surgery. He was well enough to be at his own house, but he'd been running a fever and Pinako had insisted on staying until it broke. He was in an important stage of healing and it wouldn't be good if an infection set in.

So the task of getting the box back down to the basement fell to Winry or one of the boys. A vision of Ed boasting the entire night about her being a weak little girl quickly pushed the idea of asking for help from her mind.

Winry began the trek to the basement. Her steps were small and jerky as she tried to compensate for the added weight. Her hands regripped the bottom of the box several times on the short trip. As she reached the stairs she had one last fleeting thought of asking for help, before she decided that since she'd already made it half way there was no point in backtracking.

Pushing the box against the wall and securing it with her hip and right hand, she reached with her left hand to grip and turn the handle to unlatch the door to the basement stairs.

As the door swung open, she let the weight of the box fall into both hands again. Unfortunately for her she couldn't see the wire spool inside the box.

If she could see through cardboard she'd notice that as she jostled the box to open the door the spool began to spin freely in the box. With gravity aiding it, the wire fell faster and faster until it almost touched the ground in front of the unsuspecting girl. As Winry jostled the box again to maneuver it around the door jamb, a rod settled inside the box, pinning and effectively halting the decent of the wire.

Winry thought about turning the basement light on, but dismissed it as too troublesome, she'd have to switch hands to reach the switch. It wouldn't be the first time she'd descended the stairs with out it. She was confident she'd be fine until she reached the bottom where there was another switch and a place she could set the box to rest her tiring arms before putting it away.

Making her way cautiously down the stairs, Winry was more than half way down when her left foot stepped far enough to capture the loop of wire under her foot in it's downward motion.

Having caught on the rod, the spool did not give any more and the force of Winry's step jerked the box down sharply. Winry scrambled to maintain her grip and, realizing that she'd stepped on something tried to lift her foot at the same time.

The combination of the two left her off balance on the stairs and before she could adjust she was falling head first into the dank basement.

The scream was stolen from her throat with a grunt as she registered a sharp pain in her side from a piece of metal sticking out of the box. She fell first on top of the box. Extending her arms forward she pushed against it to prevent her face from impacting the stairs. The momentum from her fall and strength of her arms, catapulted her over the box to land painfully on her back.

Her head contacted the stairs with a resounding thud and the last thing Winry remembered was the metal and wires from the box raining down on her before darkness claimed her.

_tbc...

* * *

_

Tee-hee. Such a teaser, I know. But this story is coming out fast. I apparently can't help myself from torturing Winry. I'll have the next chapter up really soon.

I've read enough of the "Winry's injured" stories to KNOW that this 'idea' is a little CLICHÉ, but I was carrying a radio down my basement stairs and tripped in a VERY SIMILAR fashion (less the bout of unconsciousness and miraculously without any serious injury) – and POP goes the idea for the story.

I have strived to be true to the characters and as far away from the cliché's as possible – I promise. But I needed an opportunity get in some senseless EdWin fluff after finally finishing Maintenance.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Heavy** ch 2

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Last Chapter: "Her head contacted the (basement) stairs with a resounding thud and the last thing Winry remembered was the metal and wires from the box raining down on her before darkness claimed her. "

* * *

Ed couldn't keep the grin from his face as he and Al returned from their spar. Of course he hadn't beaten Al, but for a second... he'd been pretty close. Or at least, that's what Al told him just after he pinned Ed on the bank of the river. And Al was not one to exaggerate about their fights. The brothers took them as seriously as their alchemy because they knew with the lives they led, a white lie while training could mean the difference between life and death in battle. 

Ed's hair was still damp from his impromptu post-fight dunk in the river, so he left it out of its typical braid to dry as he and Al strode carelessly back from their wrangle. The moon, shining fully, lit their way along the path to the Rockbells.

The brothers were later than Ed had expected and his stomach was protesting loudly. Ed burst in the side door of the house with Al following closely behind and bellowed Winry's name. Surely she'd have something ready to eat...

The silence that greeted Ed's triumphant call seemed... too complete. And none of the lights were on in the house, despite it being more than an hour after dark.

"Winry?!?" Ed called again, fear creeping into his voice.

"Brother." Al said in a quiet voice. "Maybe she's sleeping." He suggested hopefully. Only Ed could hear the slightest trace of worry in his brother's voice.

Still, Ed realized Al was probably right. Winry had been working non-stop on his arm, she probably just nodded off when they didn't return right away. He ignored the voice that reminded him that she would usually have waited to bring out the lantern when it got dark, before turning in.

"You check the couch." Ed told Al, "I'll check upstairs."

Al heard the anxiety in his brother's voice and immediately understood. It wasn't like Winry to drop off to sleep without first making sure they were home. That was more like his brother's behavior. Winry was always worried about them when they were in town – where they were and if they were comfortable. Especially since it was their last night here. Al didn't think she would do something so careless as fall asleep before they got back.

Realizing that his thoughts were only worrying him further, Al clamored quickly into the Living Room to begin his search as Ed jogged up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Before Ed reached Winry's door, he had already come to the grim conclusion that she wouldn't be in there. Either she or Pinako always made him a snack when he returned from sparing with Al.

With a guilty flush, Ed realized that he only thought about Winry when her life directly affected him. It wasn't that he meant to ignore her... rather that he had more important... obligations to fulfill. Forging a vow to pay more attention to his friend when it DIDN'T involve him, Ed quickly returned to his search.

Ed crept up to Winry's bedroom door. Opening it silently, he was not surprised to find the still-made bed and no sign of his friend.

Just to be sure, Ed opened each of the upstairs bedroom doors, and even two of the closet doors. Still no Winry. Panic began to rise in his chest.

"Winry?!?" He called, louder now, as he flew down the stairs and almost ran into Al.

"She's not here." Al said dejectedly, motioning behind him to include the living room, kitchen, foyer and den.

Both boys turned at the same time to the workshop.

It made sense. It was the room Winry spent the most time in, and the last place Ed had seen her.

No light shone from the open door. No sound of metal working, welding or the clanking of tools emanated from the normally noisy room, but both boys held firm to the belief that surely Winry was inside: safe and sound in her workshop. Neither admitted that it was the last place she could be.

They both sprinted to the door.

"She wouldn't leave with out telling us." Al said, his voice coming out in a whine, as if trying to convince himself more than his brother.

No, she wouldn't, would she? Why would she? Could she have a reason, something that would cause her to leave the house? Perhaps an emergency with a patient? Ed's mind raced as he flipped on the light and his eyes scanned the Rockbell's workshop.

He realized that although he'd had only a minor excursion, up the stairs and back, he was panting and forcefully slowed his breathing down. He could recognize the first stages of panic in his hyperventilating.

Panic would not be useful.

Thinking was useful. Focus on the facts. Focus on what you do know, and what you want to know. Don't dwell on what you don't.

He was surprised how quickly he had slipped into what he termed his 'mission mode'. How he single-mindedly put every effort into what he was doing. He treated each detail, each event as something to be used to get his desired result.

Ed went from being more or less relaxed, as he usually was in Risembool, to feeling the tension of uncertainty, he was well-used to, despite his short years. How was it that things could change so completely with the disappearance of his friend? He had to resist the urge to run... run just as fast as he could from one unknown event to the next in a desperate search to find her – and schooled his mind to calm down and focus. This was the last place she was. Where did she go from here?

He could feel Al behind him doing the same, evaluating the situation, searching for the next step. So well-tuned were they that they could pick up on the others movements and silences.

Winry's tools were still out at the worktable, splayed out in the pattern she liked to make when she was working, so she could find everything by touch alone – without tearing her eyes away from what she was working on.

Except for the night darkness reflected in the windows, it looked like Ed had left no more than a few minutes ago to spar with Al – not the three hours ago it had been.

Ed fought down another wave of fear as he remembered the length of time since they'd seen Winry. He knew from experience that three hours was more than enough time to...

Ed forcibly cleared his mind. There was nothing to gain from thoughts like that. He continued his inspection of the workshop. No forced or broken windows... nothing out of place. Everything seemed as it should until his eyes rested on the small, little-used doorway in the far left corner.

The door to the basement was open. Ed knew when Al saw the door too. He didn't sigh exactly, but his armor shifted and to Ed it sounded like Al had relaxed his shoulders.

Relief flooded Ed and he barely had time to wonder what Winry could be doing in the basement since prior to dark before he reached the stairs to find a more ominous darkness through the doorway. Ed couldn't help a vision of the gate from flashing before his eyes.

Ed cursed his wavering emotions as panic set in again, it's grip tighter than before. He froze for a second before Al's clanging steps were fast approaching him, still standing dumbly in the dark doorway. Fumbling for the light switch Ed flipped it on. His eyes widened in horror at the sight the dingy bulb illuminated.

At the bottom of the stairs lie Winry – still as death. Her shoulders and head were elevated on the bottom two stairs while the rest of her was sprawled on the floor. Her head was turned at an uncomfortable angle, her hair cascading around it. A box, half crushed on it's side was at her feet and several pieces of metal and wire surrounded the stairs and floor around her.

_tbc...

* * *

_

A/N: Yes I know, what short little snippet-type chapters are these! I just wanted to give you something before I leave work today. My internet is no longer operable at my house – so I won't be updating all weekend. Soon though... soon. This story is falling out of my head at a rapid pace. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Heavy** - ch 3

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Last Chapter: Ed finds... "At the bottom of the stairs lie Winry – still as death. Her shoulders and head were elevated on the bottom two stairs while the rest of her was sprawled on the floor. Her head was turned at an uncomfortable angle, her hair cascading around it. A box, half crushed on it's side was at her feet and several pieces of metal and wire surrounded the stairs and floor around her."

* * *

Tears clouded Ed's vision as a terror, comparable only to the time he'd found his mother in a similar state of unconsciousness, exploded in his chest. 

Ed barely heard Al cry out Winry's name as the elder took the stairs three at a time in a series of short leaps. He landed in a crouch on the floor beside her.

Bending over Winry's prone form, Ed laid his flesh hand on her cheek. The warmth that radiated into his hand and the feeling of her breath on his thumb almost made him burst out in relieved sobs. She was alive. She was breathing. She was breathing and she was alive.

The phrase kept repeating itself over and over in his mind until Al's fearful voice shook him from it.

"Edward!" Ed blinked, raising his eyes to the armor glinting dully in the light. Al never called him by his name... unless. "Is she alright?" Al asked in a tone that made Ed realize his brother must have said that more than once before. Ed had been too dazed to hear his brothers cries.

With a smile he didn't yet feel he spoke to his brother.

"Of course, she'll be fine." He then returned his gaze to her pale face... he placed his hands on the spot of her neck to fumble for her pulse. Frustrated after a few seconds of pressing into her flesh and not finding it, he pressed his ear to her chest. Her heartbeat was slow but steady... that was... that was...

Argh! Ed let out a growl of aggravation as he raised his head. Who the hell was he kidding? He had no idea if that was good or bad, other than it meant she was alive. Looking at her more critically, Ed realized there was blood on the stairs behind her.

"Winry." Ed called, shaking her slightly. He pulled her head and shoulders forward and tried not to wince at the sight of dark red blood which covered the back of her head and made her light blond hair sticky in his fingers. He heard Al's gasp as he watched, helpless from the top of the stairs. There was simply no room for Al to get down the stairs without blocking the path to get her back upstairs. So Al fidgeted as he waited for his brother to take charge like he always did.

"Head wounds bleed a lot. They always look worse than they are." Ed repeated the words he'd heard somewhere out loud to Al, more to convince himself. Only one step had blood on it. The small pool was only a little larger than Winry's head and hadn't grown big enough to fall to any of the other stairs. It wasn't a large amount of blood, by any means.

Ed had seen much more blood than this, so why was his gut rebelling so horribly at this small amount? He swallowed his nausea quickly, trying to ignore the blood and focus on the girl in his arms.

Ed traced the back of Winry's head gently with his flesh fingers and found a large bump, with a nasty cut. Fortunately, it was mostly scabbed over already telling Ed that she was in no danger from excessive blood loss.

Unfortunately the fact that the blood had coagulated meant she'd probably been unconsciousness for several hours. Maybe even just after he left. That didn't seem good. Three hours was a long time to be knocked unconscious. Even given her exhausted state, the pain should have brought her to awareness much earlier. Ed knew that lovely tidbit from experience.

Ed frowned deeply, cradling her head in his hand and wishing desperately he could remember what he was supposed to do. He checked her arms and legs nothing else seemed hurt badly – that he could tell.

Suddenly he remembered his brother's presence at the top of the stairs.

"Al." he called snapping his brother to attention "Go put a sheet & blanket on the couch and get some pillows."

"Ok." Al was obviously relieved to be doing something other than watching Ed cradle Winry's prone form. And Ed chastised himself that he didn't think giving his brother something to do sooner.

"Winry." After his brother left, Ed called her name several times and tried to shake her shoulder without jolting her head.

Winry's face scrunched up and she let out a low groan. Ed was so relieved, his flesh leg turned to jelly.

For once, he was grateful for his automail leg, unaffected by his overwhelming emotions. It helped him to keep his feet as he remained squatting next to his friend. Unable to help himself, he brushed an errant lock of hair that covered her face and traced her cheek.

"Winry, wake up." He called again louder. Followed by another shake of her shoulder.

"Go'way." Winry moaned, her right arm came up as if to shoo him away but didn't make it more than a foot off the steps before it fell back down. Winry's head rolled to the side as her tentative hold on consciousness escaped her.

"Oh god." Ed whispered. "Winry!" he cried. Unwilling to wait crouched at the bottom of the stairs any longer, he shifted her head gently to the crook of his flesh arm and slid his automail arm underneath her knees.

Standing effortlessly, he began the slow ascent, careful not to jolt her. Ed had no problem holding her and was surprised at how light she was. She was usually so strong – that Ed never stopped to think how delicate she really was... How easily broken... He viciously shook that train of thought from his head.

"You are NOT going to die on me!" He cried, his voice breaking. Realizing the desperate tone in his voice was a result of fear he began pleading with her, trying to keep himself calm. "Winry, please wake up... You're so much stronger than this! You're not going to give up on me. Just... open your eyes, damn it!"

When he reached the top of the stairs, Ed lost his precious hold on his panic and began to babble.

"Seriously Winry, you don't have to go throwing yourself down basement stairs for attention. That's such a damsel in distress thing. And what if you'd smashed your face, huh? Who's going to like an ugly automail mechanic with a smashed nose?"

Ed saw Winry's face wince again and wondered if it was from his comment or the pain he was sure she was feeling in her head.

Not that really cared which is was. A revelation hit him. Maybe if he teased her some more...

"I mean it's hard to see why anyone would look your way twice anyway. With your temper and strange attraction to moving metal parts."

As he reached the workshop door on his way to the living room, he was forced to look up. Tearing his eyes from her face to maneuver her through the hall without banging her against the wall was a little trickier than he'd thought it would be. Still, he continued talking.

"And you're always so greasy and grimy, not feminine at all!"

As Ed entered the living room, he heard Winry's quiet reply.

"Better than you'll ever get..."

A grin broke out on Ed's face and he halted his steps to look down. "Hey." He said, admitting to himself it wasn't the most articulate thing to say but unable to formulate anything else through his suddenly swollen throat.

Winry's eyes opened slowly, blinking against the harsh light of the several lamps Al had turned on. Ed was worried as he watched her pupils contract at different rates as if she were unable to focus. She seemed to be looking at nothing and then everything at the same time.

Winry's first thought was that she was dreaming... it took a moment to stop the room from spinning and when she did she saw the strangest sight. A ceiling, not of her room, hovered above her and she was lying in Ed's arms. Ed's hair was down. Golden locks were illuminated as if he were some surreal figure of mythology.

"What...?" she croaked out, wincing when the simple act of speaking sent waves of pain through her head. Eventually, her vision focused and she was able to see, if not translate, the strange look on Ed's face.

Ed was relieved as he watched Winry's pupils even out. Her blue eyes now seemed clear, if not a bit confused.

"You knocked yourself out." He supplied.

"I...?" Her eyebrows furrowed a second and then a blush flew to her cheeks as she remembered the box and the stairs. "Oh." She'd... knocked herself out? She had NEVER been knocked unconscious before! She tried to sit up and a sharp pain in her stomach reminded her of the first thing she'd felt when she fell.

Placing a hand to her side she could feel a small knot just above her hip. She must have catapulted over something in the box... possibly a steel rod. Her eyes widened... if that was true than she was lucky she didn't impale herself. She could have bled to death before...

Wait, had she been out so long that Ed had found her? What the heck time was it?

Winry turned her head to look for the clock she knew was on the wall to her left and winced as the back of her head rubbed against Ed's arm.

She hissed in pain.

"You've got a nasty bump." Ed explained.

Winry brought her free hand, the other was pinned between her and Ed's bodies, up to her head and her eyes widened as she felt the blood in her hair.

"What time is it?" She asked, desperately trying to regain her grip on reality, as she pulled back her tacky red tipped fingers.

"A little after 10." Ed replied, not sure why she asked.

"After ten... so..." Her eyebrows furrowed... "What time did you leave?" she asked Ed.

"I dunno... Maybe, around 7." He added when he got the feeling it was important for her to know.

"That means I was out for about three hours." Winry whispered. Ed winced, he'd thought as much.

"That's bad, isn't it?" he asked, his voice somber as his eyes darkened.

Winry paused in thought. Ed almost began speaking to fill the silence until she finally broke it.

"Well, I'm talking coherently, arn't I?" she questioned continuing as Ed nodded slowly, "I was pretty exhausted, and I remember what happened before the fall. So that's good." She said with a smile.

"What did happen?" Ed asked, more than curious.

Winry looked at him like he'd grown a 2nd head. "I fell." She said simply, too quickly.

"But... how?" Ed asked, knowing that missing memories were common in head injuries. It had happened to him a few times, and he remembered that it wasn't a good sign.

"Are you asking me to ascertain my condition, or just because you want to know?" she asked harshly.

Ed gave her a small smile.

"If you're using words like "ascertain" I can't imagine you've done **too **much damage."

Winry let the teasing slide. She paused, obviously deep in thought before she started speaking slowly.

"You... left to spar and I... I was cleaning up." her eyes widened and her words sped up as if she realized she really did remember. "I needed to get the box down to the basement. It... it was heavier than I remembered... I think I put too much stuff in it." She paused for a long moment before continuing, "...had something... maybe a wire... that I didn't see it and I tripped." She drifted off looking up at Ed. His small frown told her that he was unsure if her disjointed story was a good sign or a bad one.

"That's good that I remember, Ed. It means I _probably_ don't have any permanent damage." She smiled to show him she was kidding about the 'probably', but was surprised that his expression darkened instead of relaxing.

"You're lucky you didn't split your head open." Ed grumbled with a frown.

"It feels like I did." She grinned, surprised when Ed didn't join her.

"Wait... I'm bleeding!" Winry asked as she caught a view of the red color smeared on Ed's shirt. "Oh Ed... you're getting blood all over yourself!" she chastised.

Ed shrugged, nonplussed. "It's not the worst..." He trailed off, realizing he was about to finish the statement with 'time I've been covered in someone else's blood.' He changed it at the last second to "...thing."

Winry tried to feel around the area of the wound to see how big the cut was and if she'd need stitches, but she had to tug to free the arm pinned between her and Ed's body and the jolting hurt her head. Also her neck was becoming tired from trying to hold her head up off his arm in her current position. And laying it against his arm, while tempting, hurt just as much if not more.

"Ed, put me down." She commanded.

"Winry, I don't think that's..."

"Oh come off it!" Winry said, quickly becoming annoyed. She barely resisted the urge to kick her legs childishly. Remembering at the last second that her head would not appreciate the jerking.

She was not accustomed to being treated like an invalid, especially by her childhood friend. "I'm fine, I'm not going to faint again."

Ed looked unconvinced but before he could argue further Al came into the room.

"Winry! You're ok!" He cried, obviously relieved as he approached the two.

"Of course I am!" Winry cried with more confidence than she felt. "If I could just get your brother to put me down."

"And if SHE would just listen that I'm not going to set her on her feet after she knocked herself silly for 3 hours JUST to watch her fall over again..."

"I wouldn't TELL you to DO it if I didn't think I could STAND UP!" Winry yelled, ignoring the stabbing pain of her head as her blood pressure rose. Didn't he think she knew he own body well enough to make the simple decision to stand on her own two feet?

"You wouldn't know you couldn't do it until you were on the floor again!" Ed yelled, barely resisting the urge to shake some sense into the girl. Couldn't she see he was worried about her?

"Ano..." Al looked from Ed's determined face to Winrys... what an unusual twist to their normal bickering.

"Come off it Ed!" As usual, the two ignored Al to continue their argument, "I'm the only one here QUALIFIED enough to diagnose my condition. How am I supposed to do that LAYING DOWN?" Winry continued the argument, getting more frustrated, as she jabbed a finger into Ed's shoulder to drive the point home.

Al could feel their tempers escalating. His brother was fueled by the fear he and Al had felt when they couldn't find her. It was typical for his brother to express his concern through anger.

Winry was not used to being cared for. She was just too independent. So she was upset at being smothered.

Al knew from experience that it would not be good to let them continue their current argument. Neither would budge, and without the normal outlet of violence he had no idea where it would go from their current stalemate.

_tbc...

* * *

_

I know – I KNOW – it's a weird place to end it. But... seriously – unless I cut it off when back Winry woke up... there wasn't much else to be done. I want to keep the next part in tact - and I also wanted to put out a little more than I have been. Tiny little teaser chapters. Shame on Suzi! So here's what I came up with. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review! You keep me motivated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Heavy **ch 4

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Last Chapter: Ed and Winry fight over Ed putting Winry down…

"Al knew from experience that it would not be good to let them continue their current argument. Neither would budge, and without the normal outlet of violence he had no idea where it would go from their current stalemate."

* * *

"What if Ed set you down at the table?" Al addressed Winry, "Then you could sit up and we could bring you mirrors to look at your injury, but you wouldn't have to stand up right away." 

Both teens turned astonished looks at Al, each wondering why they hadn't thought of that.

"Fine." Winry said at the same time Ed added.

"Ok."

Ed maneuvered Winry quickly to the kitchen as Al set down the pile of pillows, he'd been holding.

"I'll get the mirrors." Al said as he quickly exited the kitchen.

Ed set Winry down gently in the chair, diplomatically not mentioning the wobble he saw as she situated herself.

"How do you feel?" he asked instead.

Winry paused, looking at him with pursed lips for a moment, trying to decide if he was looking for an opportunity start arguing again. He kept his eyes on her, searching for signs of any more frailties. The concern on his face dissolved what was left of her anger.

"Like crap. My head hurts a LOT." She said honestly.

"Want some aspirin?" Ed asked.

"Yes, please." Winry began to nod, but stopped herself. The dizzy feeling that swept over her reminded her that moving her head around quickly wasn't a good idea just yet.

Ed stood and went to the first aid kit kept in the kitchen by the door to the workshop. He opened the box and was fishing for the small bottle of aspirin when Winry resumed talking.

"I am a little nauseous, but that's pretty normal considering I just knocked myself out for..." Her brow furrowed and she looked up at Ed with a questioning look. "What time is it?"

Ed's eyes widened to giant saucers as he spun away from the kit to take Winry into his gaze. The fear was so apparent on his face that Winry asked, "What?"

"You already asked that." Ed whispered, paralyzed with fear.

"I did?" Winry's eyes glazed for a second as she tried to remember and then she smiled sheepishly. "Oh – right, when I couldn't look at the clock." She grinned at Ed's terrified expression. "Don't look so worried. I remember now, you told me it was after 10, right?"

Ed nodded slowly, obviously not reassured.

"I just forgot a second ok? I'm alright. Really." Winry tried her best to be reassuring, and was frustrated when Ed's expression didn't change. "Ok... so I WAS out for almost three hours but that's probably because of how tired I am..." she trailed off and looked at Ed, unable to ignore his stunned expression, "What?" she yelled, wondered if he thought she sounded like a broken record as it seemed to be the only thing she could ask him.

"Nothing." He said quickly, averting her eyes. The reminder of how long she'd been unconscious struck a cord. If he hadn't been so busy screwing around with Al they could have gotten back sooner. If they got back sooner, they could have roused Winry sooner and then maybe…

Or if he'd just paid a little more attention to her and offered to help more often maybe she'd have asked him to take the box down the stairs. And she wouldn't have fallen at all…

Or instead of running off when she was done with his arm, if he'd just asked if there was anything she needed before he ran off selfishly…

"I'm sure I'll be fine." Winry interrupted Ed's self-recriminating thoughts, raking her brain as to how she could wipe the overly-concerned look from his face.

Was his how he felt when she was crying... this uncomfortable itching feeling; this desperate desire to DO something to help stop it, but not knowing what?

"I know!" Winry cried with a smile.

Ed raised his eyes to hers, obviously startled at her carefree tone.

"Would you do me a favor and get me a book from the study?" She asked.

"What for?" he asked, warily.

"Well, since you're so unconvinced by my memory – I can show you the medical encyclopedia that talks about concussions. It's a red book on the 2nd to top shelf by the window five or six books from the left. You'll see it because the other books on that shelf are blue or black." Winry supplied in an almost bored voice.

Ed smiled, her assured tone finally convincing him that she was going to be alright.

"Nah... that stuff's boring as hell. 'Sides if you can remember where to tell me to look, I suppose your brain is working well enough." He remembered the aspirin bottle in his hands and shook out two of the tablets into his palm and handed them to Winry before turning to get her a glass of water.

Winry quickly smothered her cocky grin as she congratulated herself on a job well done. The worried expression on Ed's face had smoothed out a bit. She was glad he hadn't called her bluff and looked for the book. He'd be pissed if he realized she made up the details to reassure him. She counted on his laziness to prevail in actually seeking the book out. Although she HAD a book like that – she wasn't sure exactly where to find it. Winry was happy that despite her injured state she could still support him – even if she had to make sure he didn't know she was doing it.

"Here." Ed interrupted her mental back-pat as he held out the glass of water.

"Thanks." Chirped Winry before she popped the pills in her mouth and took a drink of water to swallow them down. "It's a shame you're leaving tomorrow. I could get used to this kind of service." She teased.

To her surprise Ed's expression darkened at her joke. She expected a retort telling her not to get used to it. It wasn't often Ed passed up a chance to jibe her. She decided to try again for humor. She really hated Ed's somber moods.

"Must be a relief to know you don't have to cart me to the hospital. The nearest one's the opposite way of Central and you'd be in trouble if you were late to report."

Ed's face darkened again, but before Winry could ask why, Al returned.

AL returned with the promised mirrors – and both brothers held them up so Winry could poke at the gash on the back of her head. With her hair parted and pulled over the front of her shoulders the 2 inch gash was more visible. Although slightly open – it was not gaping and little more than a cut really – made worse by the lump underneath it.

Ed's gut clenched at each wince that flittered across Winry's face. It happened quite often when her fingers hit a tender spot, as she mercilessly prodded and pulled at the tender skin.

"Will you need stitches?" Al asked after a few moments of silence. Winry beamed a quick smile at him.

"I don't think so Al. It's already stopped bleeding on its own. But…those stairs are pretty dirty." She mumbled. "I should probably disinfect it."

Ed startled. Why hadn't he already thought of that?

Maybe, spoke a little voice in his head, because you were so busy comparing Winry's prone body with when you walked in on your moth…

"I'll get it." He said quickly stopping the voice before it could finish the statement. Now that he was certain she was alright – Ed was pissed at how panicked he'd gotten over the whole situation. How see-through he'd been. And how absolutely oblivious his childhood friend was as to the real reason. And it was all his fault, wasn't it? If he was just a little more open with her maybe she wouldn't treat him like a child throwing a tantrum when he tried to express his concern for her.

Ed was relieved to no longer be staring at Winry's blood-soaked hair as he set down the mirror and forced Winry to stop her exploration, only to have her look at him oddly.

Unable to meet her eyes, Ed nearly ran out of the room. Winry turned to Al and they both suppressed giggles as they simultaneously shrugged at each other, perplexed at Ed's hasty exit.

Ed returned shortly with a bottle of peroxide. Winry looked from him to the bottle to him again with an odd expression.

"What?" Ed snapped, irritably.

"Forget your basic chemicals, Ed?" Winry teased.

"My… what?!?" Ed was thrown by the nature of her comment. What did alchemy have to do with the disinfectant… he looked down at the bottle. The hydrogen and oxygen particles reacted in such a way as to be one of the best…

"Think it's enough to finish off the dye job?" Winry clarified with a raised eyebrow.

Ed flushed as realized that the oxidation of the peroxide would bleach her already blonde hair.

"I just… I was…" Ed's face heated up and he spun on his heel angrily. "I'll be right back."

"Do you know what his problem is?" Winry turned to Al. "He's acting weird… weirder than normal."

Al hesitated in answering Winry's question. Talking about his brother's emotions to their friend seemed a trespass to Ed. But when the silence stretched on without Ed's return, Al figured it was better she knew what he did before the tension erupted into something volatile, as usually was the case with his brother and best friend.

"We were really worried when we couldn't find you." Al began, not missing Winry's look of guilt, "Maybe he's glad you're ok – and he'd doesn't know how to deal with it… or…" Al sighed, "Knowing my brother, he's probably finding a way to make it his fault." He said quietly.

Winry opened her mouth to give some sarcastic reply about Ed being the only person on earth that would try find personal fault in her clumsiness, but she stopped herself just in time, realizing that Al's tone was nothing but serious. Thinking a moment, she understood that it would be just like Ed to be thinking something like that.

"Alright." She decided. "I'll talk to him."

_tbc…

* * *

_

A/N: ok – so this wasn't the "entire" next chapter I intended (Winry and Ed just keep running away from my plot!). But because everyone has been so gracious in their reviews – THANK YOU SO MUCH – I wanted to get something out for all of you wonderful people today. Think of it as a bonus. Hope you enjoyed! And thanks again to everyone who is taking the time to leave me comments - it's such a motivation to get feedback!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Heavy **ch 5

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Last Chapter: "Al sighed, "Knowing Ed, he's probably finding a way to make it his fault." He said quietly.

Winry opened her mouth to give some sarcastic reply about Ed being the only person on earth that would try find fault at her clumsiness, but she stopped herself just in time, realizing that Al's tone was nothing but serious. Thinking a moment, she realized that it would be just like Ed to be thinking something like that.

"Alright." She decided. "I'll talk to him.""

* * *

Before Al could protest that there was little she could do to sway his brother's remorse – after all Al tried without success on a daily basis – Ed returned. This time his arms were full of supplies piled into a porcelain basin.

"Wow. Leave anything in the bathroom?" Winry admonished with a smile to let him know she was teasing.

But Ed didn't even look at her. He quickly dumped out the large bowl in a huff – spilling shampoo, a washrag, several disinfectants, gauze, tape and a towel across the table.

"Thought you might like to get the blood out of your hair." He grumbled as he went over to the sink and began filling the bowl.

Winry barely bit back a comment about being perfectly capable of taking a shower. Not only would the argument with Ed increase her already-bad headache, but she honestly didn't relish the thought of the pressurized water hitting the back of her head.

She also found the effort he was making to help her endearing, if not helplessly clumsy.

"I would, thanks." She said quietly, taking in Ed's aggravated face as she straightened the products and stood them up on the table. Understanding that there was something that should be resolved before they went to bed and the boys took off tomorrow, Winry turned to Al.

"Al, I'm don't want to bother you…" she began.

"Whatever you need, Winry." Al responded with predictable eagerness and Winry's smile widened. It was nice to know that some things didn't change.

"I'm wondering if you could do me a big favor. Earlier I left some laundry on the clothes line outside…" before she could finish Al jumped up.

"Of course! Don't worry about it." He waved off her thanks and quickly ambled out the door. Winry wondered if Ed noticed his brother's hasty departure at all as she took in the elder Elric's dazed expression.

"Ed?" she asked, calling his attention to the fact that the basin was now overfull.

"Got it." Ed shut the water off, dumping a little back into the sink before bringing it to the table.

Winry watched him clap his hands together and touch the bowl. She felt the strange tingling in the air that always accompanied a transmutation and watched as the blue flash disappeared and steam began to drift lazily from the now-heated water.

"Nice trick." She commented. Ed shrugged.

"It's pretty simple..." His mouth hung slightly open as if there was something else he was going to add, but he slowly closed it without voicing anything further.

Winry pulled her hair around her right shoulder and prepared to dunk it in the warm water when Ed's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Let me." He said, gently claiming her hair from her loose hands.

"I really can…" Winry protested, getting ready to regrip her hair before Ed's voice stopped her.

"Please?"

The question hung in the air a second – neither used to this type of interaction. Their moments together when alone were always high-intensity; but nothing like the tension of this moment.

Typical exchanges would involve arguing, play fighting, and tactics of persuasion to get their own way over the other. This open, almost raw, pleading was entirely new. There was nothing sarcastic or biting in the word, just a simple beseeching. Winry couldn't find it in her heart to deny him.

Not trusting her voice, she turned carefully in the chair so she was facing the back of it, and away from the table. She scooted back so her hair was close to the bowl and silently gave Ed permission to wash her hair.

After her approval, both teens fell silent. Winry closed her eyes as Ed began running his hands through her hair gently to disentangle the few strands that were looped together. He expertly avoided the strands that were matted with blood.

Winry was surprised how tender he was, until she realized – a little sheepishly – that he had long hair of his own. And he was probably being extra careful not to pull because of her injury. She was able to enjoy the feeling of hands running through her hair, despite the occasional jolt of pain that would radiate infrequently from the lump on her skull.

After a few seconds, she felt his hands move from her hair to her shoulders. Before she would wonder why, she felt Ed pulling her backwards. She resisted, straightening her back to keep herself upright until his voice broke through her struggles.

"It'll be easier if you lie back."

"But..." Winry wanted to protest that her back also hurt from the fall and she didn't fancy holding herself up the entire time that...

"Trust me." Ed's coaxing words broke her train of thought.

Slowly, unsure, she relaxed her protesting back muscles. Ed's hands gently guided her back and Winry realized with surprise that Ed had folded the towel behind her on the table. She could rest her shoulders quite comfortably on the cushion, and her neck met the edge of the bowl in a fairly comfortable position. She could completely relax. She smiled as she felt Ed gather her hair and set it in the bowl.

The slight increase in weight told her her hair was soaking up the water. Winry wanted to talk to Ed... to console him... that was the purpose of asking Al to do the laundry. But she found herself stunned silent by his unusual actions.

Ed cupped his hands underneath the warm water. He raised them up and gently let the water fall over her head. The feeling of the water dripping down her head gave her Goosebumps.

"Are you ok?" Ed asked quickly, causing Winry to realize she'd just shivered.

"Mmm-hmm." She murmured. "I just got the chills."

"Is the water too cold?" Ed asked, his voice unsure.

"No, it feels nice." Winry answered keeping her eyes closed.

Ed frowned, not completely convinced, until he caught the peaceful expression on Winry's face. Her content expression was all the encouragement he needed. He lowered his hands into the water once again – letting it fall over her hair. It darkened a lot when it got wet he noticed. Not unlike his own hair.

The soft splashing was the only sound in the kitchen for several long minutes. Winry struggled with several beginnings of conversation, only to have each slip from her mind as easily as the water running over it. She found it was too hard to keep such a serious train of thought and finally allowed her mind to rest - and just enjoy the sensation of being cared for.

A rush of pride at finally taking care of her like she did so often for him blossomed in Ed's chest, as he finished wetting Winry's hair. Picking up the shampoo he hesitated…

"This will probably sting a bit… I'll try not to get it IN the cut… but that's where the blood is the worst." He said.

"I know." Winry said, bracing herself by grabbing onto the back of the chair... She felt the cold shampoo on her head a second before she smelled it. It was her favorite scent. She wondered if Ed knew that – or if he just grabbed the first bottle marked shampoo… It was nice regardless, she decided.

Ed started at the crown of her head – massaging the suds in with his fingers. Winry guiltily loved the smooth feeling of his firmer automail fingers as much as his short nails of his flesh hand, as they traced small circles into her scalp.

Ed moved down to the sides of her hair – careful to stay away from the back at first. He took several strands of hair so full of blood they were red and rolled them between his finger and thumb gently. The pink suds formed and Ed felt the hair slowly loosening, as it became more soft and eventually separated.

After the length of her hair was soaped up – he carefully parted the hair by her injury. He heard the hiss she tried to hide, as he tried to work out the hardened flecks of blood surrounding the cut.

"Sorry." He apologized.

She didn't reply and Ed looked up at her furrowed eyebrows framing her still-closed eyes. Now, however, they were squeezed shut as if in pain.

"Winry, are you ok?" He asked stopping his washing.

Winrys eyes flew open as if startled, and met his. "I'm fine." She said. "Keep going."

Ed nodded, returning to the task. A few minutes later his hands stilled and he spoke.

"I... I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time earlier."

"Eh?" Winry lifted her head out of Ed's hands and looked up at him. "What do..." she trailed off as she saw the expression on his face. He looked... god, he looked like somebody died!

Barely resisting the urge to stand and hug him, Winry sat as patiently as she could, waiting for him to explain his unusual apology.

"I... when we found you..." Ed's voice cracked and Winry couldn't take it any longer.

"Ed, I'm so sorry I - "

"Winry please don't interrupt me... I'm trying to explain something." Ed's gentle eyes softened the tone of words, and Winry silenced herself.

"I... Al and I never told you... how we found out our mother was sick, did we?" Ed's eyes sought the answer in hers.

Winry shook her head, not trusting her voice for the second time that night. Ed was never so candid with things like this. And what did his mother have to do with anything?

"We were asked to pick up some vegetables from the neighbors." Ed looked away from Winry and she could see him reliving the event of which he spoke. "We were so excited to be trusted with it – we never thought that it might be because she wasn't well... When we came back, she was laying of the floor of the kitchen... so still." Ed's breath caught and he paused a moment before continuing.

"We called her name, and shook her, but she wouldn't wake up. We thought she was dead."

"Ed, I'm..."

"No – it's ok." Ed cut her off, "I'm sorry I freaked out. I wanted you to know part of the reason why. I just... it just made it really think… you know?"

Winry nodded, understanding that he needed confirmation, although she didn't really know what he was referring to. She wanted to ask, but was afraid to break the strange magic of this moment. Imagine, Edward Elric sharing something emotionally intimate with her!

With her nod, Ed's face smoothed out a bit and he returned to washing her hair. A few seconds later he spoke, his voice less somber.

"I think I've got it – only the soaps going to get in there when I rinse it." Ed saw Winry's hands tighten againon the back of the chair. He cupped his hands, scooping up the water and let it cascade over her head. He watched as pink clouds exploded into the basin of still mostly clear water as the blood rinsed from Winry's hair.

Winry was doing a valiant job of ignoring the stinging sensation of soap rinsing through the cut on her head. She consoled herself with the thought that the soap would do more good than harm and there was worse hurt to be had when they used the disinfectant.

Ed repeated the rinsing action a few times before Al returned from outside with a basket full of folded laundry.

"Just in time." Ed smiled at his brother. "Could you do me a favor and get me some fresh water?" He asked as he wrung out the bottom of Winry's hair and pulled it up out of the bowl so Al could take it.

"Sure." Al said surprised, but not showing it, at their current situation. He expected one of many different scenarios – the most likely being screaming voices, despite Winry's head injury or at the very least a sulking Ed. This – peaceful scene – was completely unexpected. And something he could get used to, he decided.

Al picked up the basin of red-tinted water, dumped the water in the sink and refilled it bringing it back to Ed.

Ed quickly transmuted the clear water to a comfortable temperature and continued to rinse the last suds from Winry's hair.

When he was satisfied with it's cleanliness he gently wrung it out and began to towel dry the ends.

"I can do that." Winry spoke for the first tine in a long while.

Ed ignored her and continued until he reached her scalp.

"Ed?" she asked, only to be ignored again. Rather that argue, Winry closed her eyes again and tried to enjoy the caring, if not jolting, motions that sent pain directly to her brain, it seemed.

A large yawn burst from her mouth unexpectedly.

Simultaneously Ed spoke. It came out in a rush as though he'd been thinking about saying it for a long time, but only now had mustered the courage.

"What would possess you to carry something so heavy down the stairs when you could have asked me or Al to do it?" Ed's anger was, once again, apparent in his heavy tone, even as he was trying valiantly to suppress it.

Winry opened her eyes and pulled away from Ed's hands. She couldn't keep the flush from her cheeks as she admitted.

"Well, you never OFFER to do anything when you're here... and I was afraid you'd make fun of me for being... weak." The last word came out as barely a whisper and she took the towel from his hands to finish the last bit of drying herself.

Ed's eyes widened. Another thing to add to his list of "must do's after I return Al to his body" was to help Winry so much she would have to ask him to STOP doing stuff for her. And... make fun of her? Did she really think he would be so cruel? Wait, did she just call herself weak? The thoughts flew through Ed's mind simultaneously, and he wasn't sure which to address.

Fortunately, as he tried to think of something to say, Al – ever his savoir in situations like this – spoke up.

"Winry, you're not weak. And asking for help isn't a weakness; it's a strength to know when to ask for help. Unlike **some** people I know." Al said, nudging his helmet, not so subtlety, towards his brother.

Ed could feel his temper rise, before Winry's musical laugh halted it instantly.

"I suppose you're right, Al. I'm sorry for worrying you two."

And just like that – all the twisted worry. The disgusting ... feeling of dread the heavy pressure of guilt was gone. With a simple smile, blue eyes sparkling and an apology from someone who needn't apologize to HIM. Ed felt… lighter… almost refreshed.

Ed stared incredulously as Winry took a corner of the rag and, with Al's offered help, cleaned the cut on her head. Her face screwed up a bit in pain, but she expressed it through comical repeating of the word

"Owowowowowowowow," as she and Al fanned it to stop the stinging. It was like they were kids again and she's just scraped her knee. The tension, the worry was all gone in an instant.

How was it that she could do that? Forgive everything… genuinely let it all go?

He should be begging forgiveness from HER, for not being back sooner… for making her feel like she couldn't ask him for help… for not reassuring her how strong she was.

He should help her to carry her burdens – not feel his own lighten with just a smile and apology. Yet here she was – forgiving him again. Not expecting anything from of him. Never, not even when it was apparent that she wanted something…

When she wanted something…

The conversation they'd had just before Ed brought the disinfectant flew through Ed's head. An idea formed and he was finally able to smilefully back at Winry, when she caught his eye around his brothers armored body.

His heart further lightened by the fact that his idea was something she and Al would both enjoy.

After all, they deserved a little bit of happiness here and there.

_tbc..._

* * *

WHEW! I didn't think I'd get this done today before I had to leave. I've been working overtime on this realtor open house we're having. I was baking cookies until almost midnight last night! But everyone's been so great and left me such great reviews I wanted to make sure you were amply rewarded and didn't have to go the WHOLE weekend without an update. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! 


	6. Chapter 6

**Heavy **ch 6

By Suzi aka KatsyKat

"After all they all deserved a bit of happiness here and there."

* * *

Ed was content for a moment, watching Al and Winry interact. It was easy to forget, sometimes when they were long gone on some distant road, how much of they were a part of her and vice-versa. And it was moments like these that made him remember all over again. 

The picture perfect scene was shattered the moment Ed's stomach made its protest at being ignored. The growl sounded at first like a wild beast and Winry's eyes widened in surprise before her eyebrows drew together in concern. 

"That's right…" she said slowly. "I didn't get a chance to make you anything to eat."

"Don't worry about it." Ed hurried to reassure Winry that he could live the night without eating when his stomach let loose another ferocious growl. Winry chuckled. 

"RiiiIIiiight. Unless you're hiding a bear in there – you must really be hungry."

"Nah..." Ed tried to deny her. "I'm fine." But Winry pressed on as if she hadn't even heard him.

"It got so late…" she looked at the clock showing the time as half past 11. "I wonder what would be quick…" Her eyes were glazed even as Ed jumped into her direct line of sight. 

"I SAID not to worry about it. I'll be just fine." He waved his arms for good measure and Al held back a chuckle. His brother really was too high strung.

Winry paused, debating whether or not to push it. Taking a moment to resize-up her injury she found her nausea had passed. And could it be, that she was feeling the faint tendrils of hunger in her own belly? She sheepishly recalled that although she fixed Ed both breakfast and lunch during breaks of working on his arm, she had completely ignored her own hunger, munching only on an apple earlier in the day. 

"Well, then you don't have to have anything." Winry addressed Ed haughtily, "But I'm hungry and I'm going to fix..." Winry started to stand when a heavy automail hand was at her shoulder pushing her back down. She allowed her legs to buckle underneath her rather than fight the arms owner. She looked up into Ed's stormy expression and opened her mouth to argue when he spoke.

"You're not cooking anything." He said firmly in a chopped, decided tone. The only sign of his great irritation was his left eyebrow that was twitching ever so slightly. 

Winry barely resisted the urge to scream. While she appreciated the concern, she really was hungry. She stewed a moment trying to forcibly suppress the same anger that she normally harnessed in situations like this. Dismissing the possibility of getting to anything solid enough to throw, she figured she'd have to be craftier than usual. She could feel Al tense up, awaiting her blow-up at Ed's casual disregard for her hunger. 

She took one deep breath... two... The red fringing the edge of her vision cleared a little. Suddenly an idea popped into her head, and she grinned, evilly.

"Fine then." She glared Ed down, crossing her arms. "You make it."

Winry had to resist the urge to laugh as Ed's expression when from angry to confused to panicked until the emotions melted into an expression ofirritation all in under half a second.Ed really was such a riot to poke fun at sometimes. 

"But... I... You want me..." Ed's face began to flush as he struggled with an appropriate response to both abate his desire to help and not overstep his abilities. While he'd love to whip up something edible... the truth was – he was a horrible cook. While an expert with chemical compounds – spices were another thing all together. He was running through the list of things he couldn't ruin too badly when he noticed something.

Winry's expression was much too calm. Eds visage settled into a cross between a scowl – which he was aiming for – and a pout, which somehow snuck its way in without his realizing. He crossed his arms and glared at Winry, silently demanding an explanation. 

"Do you think you can manage to flip pancakes before they burn?" Winry asked, sparing Ed the embarrassment of admitting his inadequacy in the kitchen, of which she was blatantly aware. She, on more than one occasion, had chased the older brother out of the kitchen after one of countless mishaps. 

"Yes." Ed said – sounding more young than his 16 years. "But..." he hesitated to admit he didn't know how to make the batter.

"Good then." Winry breezed by his tangible discomfort... Al can bring me the ingredients – I can mix it up and you get out the pan, preheat it and cook them.

Ed nodded thoughtfully, considering her words. He wasn't even upset by the know-it-all tone, Winry only used when she was explaining something she thought quite obvious but that had completely eluded the boys. More often lately she used it when something involved his automail that he hadn't thought about but she considered rudimentary. 

Ed suppressed a smile. While eager to follow it, the childish part of him still wasn't willing to admit it was a good plan. It kept them all involved to their capacity. Winry could remain seated and Ed was kept far away from mixing ingredients. Al would be very helpful in getting Winry's supplies; everybody was happy. 

"Ok... what do you need?" Al asked, starting the process. 

"Well first I need this stuff out of the way." Winry swept her arm to indicate the basin, shampoo and other products from the bathroom that Ed had retrieved. 

"Right." Said Al, scooping up everything into the bowl and leaving to return it to the bathroom.

"So... where do you keep the frying pan?" Ed spoke up, his back to her as if afraid to admit he didn't know where to look.

Winry smiled until she realized WHERE the pans were. She fought to keep both the panic and the smile from her expression as she gave him instructions. 

"Uh... above the stove there's a cabinet – they're hanging inside." Winry paused as Ed craned his neck up to look at the high cabinet. She struggled with a way to suggest using the stepstool without mentioning the fact that she wastaller than him and had been able to reach that cupboard, unaided, years ago. 

"There's a... step ladder under the sink..." she stopped herself just in time from mentioning that the person who usually needed to use the aid was her grandmother, "I sometimes need it to get to things in there." She finished, hoping Ed wouldn't call her out on her bluff.

Ed, however, seemed relieved at the advice, although Winry knew much better than to expect any expression of gratitude. She caught part of the words he grumbled under her breath as was pretty sure he said something like, 'crazy people hiding things in unreachable cabinets...' as the rest of what he said was hidden by the rattling of Al's armor when he returned. 

Time passed quickly for the three teens emersed in their own tasks.Soon Ed managed, with Winry's explicit instruction as to the height of flame on the stove-top, to pre-heat the cast-iron skillet. Al had gathered all the ingredients and tools and Winry had literally whipped upsome thick batter. 

Al proudly took the batter bowl to his brother who dipped in a ladle and proceeded to dump it into the pan. The smell of pancakes quickly filled the kitchen. It was a shame that the number of edible pancakes didn't immediately follow.

Ed growled as he felt his patience running thin. Winry's chuckles in the background weren't helping. 

The first pancake had stuck irreparably to the pan – forcing Ed to scrape the sloppy burned batter mix out of the pan – wash it and start anew. 

"Adding more butter to the pan will prevent it from sticking." Winry suggested from her chair.

"I know that." Ed grumbled.

The second time he had added so much butter the pancake soaked it up while it was cooking. Ed managed to flip it ok, but when it cooked the cake was rubbery... totally inedible. 

"You're not bathing them in butter. They don't need a pool in the pan." Came Winry's sarcastic reply. 

"Ano… he really didn't use that much." Al tried to defend, but went silent at Winry's knowing gaze.

Ed bit his tongue and tried again. 

Trying to flip the third pancake caused it to flop around the spatula and slide off to land in a disastrous puddle in the middle of the pan. Ed burnt the ends to try to cook the thick middle. 

"You tried to flip it too soon." Came Winry's casual remark. "You need to let it cook enough for it to firm up before you flip it." 

Ed nodded, his face becoming more and more red after each failed attempt. It was a stupid pancake – how could it be so hard to make?

"Al, I wonder if you should start getting the ingredients for the batter out again… we seem to be running quite low with **little **to show for it."

"It'll be fine." Came Ed's gruff reply as he poured the batter for the forth pancake. Winry frowned his lack of response to her stressed word. She knew that he was at the end of his rope and struggled to think of a way to help him that wouldn't bruise his pride any more than it already was. 

Ed wanted to wait for the cooking batter to 'firm up' as Winry said – and it wasn't until smoke began rising from the pan that Ed realized he'd burnt it. Ed almost lost it. He lifted the pan in anger shaking it violently over Den's bowl. The half burned half not cooked cake landed with a splat on top of the other three failures. The dog lifted her head at the sound and then looked from Ed to the bowl to Ed again as if to say, 'I didn't like the others – what makes this one any different?' before returning her head to her paws.

Winry motioned Al silently over to her chair as Ed dumped the latest failed attempt into Den's bowl. Winry knew she'd have to throw it away later – there was no way Den would eat that mess. As Al reached her she whispered in his helm. Al nodded along with what she was saying, as Ed continued his efforts. 

Ed put a little pad of butter to melt in the pan as he returned it to the burner, barely keeping his anger in check. Why was it he couldn't even do something this simple for Winry? It was an easy request, and he wasn't able to complete it. And damn if the smell of cooking pancakes wasn't making him hungry, which was doing nothing to improve his mood.

Ed had tried unsuccessfully to cook four separate pancakes. And he was batting zero.

His automail hand tightened on the handle of the frying pan. He released the handle as he realized he was shaking the pan in his repressed anger. He quicklytraded it for the spatula. His flesh hand angrily swiped up the ladle he was using to pour the batter in the pan and dipped it in the bowl of batter. Before he could pick it up he felt two cool hands encircle his wrist. 

He opened his mouth to yell at Winry for leaving her seat, when he saw Al standing protectively behind Winry. It was obvious Al had helped her across the kitchen and Ed was too busy being upset over the uncooperative batter to even notice their hushed conversation beforehand. Ed wasn't sure if he was more perturbed at their conniving or his obvious need of help.

"Here..."Winry's feather light touches guided his hand to hover the pan as shestood so close to Ed he could easily smell the shampoo in her still-damp hair. "If you use just a little less batter the pancakes will be a little smaller, which will help them flip easier." She coaxed his hand to stop pouring after he emptied a little more than half the scoop instead of the full one he'd been using previously.

Ed frowned.

"Did you walk all the way across the kitchen to show me that?" He asked, half-turning so as not to break the hold she kept on his wrist. .

"No." she said, the smile evident in her voice,as she guided him to return the ladle to the bowl of batter. Her extra inch and a half of height helped her see easily over Ed's shoulder to the pan. She released his flesh arm and shifted so she was behind his right side and pointed to the pan. "If you wait until you see the little bubbles at the edge of the pancake you'll know it's done enough to flip. So it won't stick or flop in half." 

"What little..." Ed began to ask, but as he did he could see tiny pin-tip sized bubbles in the batter popping on the very edges. His golden eyes widened.

"It does that when the other side is cooked and warming up this side. That's when you..." Winry reached out to his automail arm, and engulfed his metal hand in both of hers. "Releaseyour death grip on the spatula." she commanded shaking his arm a bit until he loosened his grip and his wrist hung loose in her hands. "Better."

"If you run it along the edges to give it a head-start." Winry guided the spatula by holding Ed's automail hand in both of hers. Ed watched and felt as the flat of the spatula ran under the entire edge of the pancake, separating it gently from the pan. 

"Then, you slide it under quick and flip it in one motion." Winry pushed Ed's hand holding the spatula in a single motion under the center of the pancake and raising it only slightly before flipping the pancake perfectly. It landed in the pan with a satisfying sizzle as the uncooked side began to catch up to the golden side now showing. 

Winry stepped back with a grin... Ed, so elated with the perfectly flipped pancake, forgot to be upset that Winry had interfered.

"Ok Al. Please escort Little Miss Homemaker, back to the table to wait for her share." Ed chastised, ruining the reprimand with the twinkle in his eye. 

Al offered his arm, which Winry took in good spirits. Returning to her seat she couldn't help but notice that having been instructed Ed looked infinitely more confident. – and soon a small stack of mostly golden pancakes stood as testament to his quick learning.

_tbc..._

* * *

A/N: If I were trying to christen this story with sub-chapter titles – this one would be the "Great Risembool Pancake Massacre" :D Man, I could get addicted to this fluff stuff. Who needs plot? Not me! To answer the question beforehand – No, feeding Winry was NOT what Ed was thinking about last chapter. You'll have to wait and see what he has planned.

Thanks for reading thus far – and a special shout of appreciation to all those who have kindly left me a review. They are like POWERTHIRST energy drink for my muse! Thanks a bunch!


	7. Chapter 7

**Heavy** ch 7

By Suzi a.k.a. Katsy Kat

Last Chapter: "Al offered his arm, which Winry took in good spirits. Returning to her seat she couldn't help but notice that having been instructed Ed looked infinitely more confident. And soon a small stack of mostly golden pancakes stood as testament to his quick learning."

* * *

While Ed finished cooking the pancakes, Al busied himself setting the table.

Winry asked for a couple things Al didn't remember having when they were kids… Sugar, and strawberries, joined the usual toppings of butter and syrup. And in moments Al had two plates and silverware waiting to be used.

Ed plopped into the chair opposite Winry, who sat next to Al, and proceed to swipe the first two pancakes off the pile he unceremoniously tossed on the table.

Quickly dousing his plate in butter and syrup he grinned at Winry before stuffing a quarter of both pancakes into his mouth. He chewed loudly, barely able to keep his mouth closed around his huge bite.

"These are really REALLY good!" Ed cried, after swallowing.

Winry nodded, acknowledging his compliment but not ready to commit her agreement without sampling them first. She had taken a few moments more to prepare her pancakes choosing to butter them lightly and sprinkle some sugar on top. She was still in the process of slicing strawberries on the top when Ed's exclamation reached her ears.

"These taste just like I remember auntie making when we were kids!" Ed cried suddenly, his mouth still half full and a wide grin on his face.

Winry bit back the reminder that by society's standards they were still 'kids'. But she could understand that from someone who had more or less raised himself and his brother from the tender age of 11, the definition of childhood was a little less than normal. And the atmosphere, since Ed offered to wash her hair was so pleasant she couldn't see bursting it by splitting hairs over the technicality of his "adulthood".

She finally got her first bite, the strawberries slightly tart against the sugar, but balancing perfectly with the pancakes. She couldn't resist a small moan. It really had been too long!

"No body in the world makes them like this!" Ed continued complimenting around slightly smaller bites. "Trust me, I know!"

Winry blinked, obviously startled.

"Really?" her smile was slow in coming but blossomed fully on her face, "I'm not sure I believe that. But Grannie did teach me how to make these. Considering I don't make them often, I think they turned out rather well." The small tell-tale blush on her cheeks radiated pride, despite the casual tone she tried to maintain.

The two teens ate rather fast. Winry unexpectedly keeping up the pace with Edward – despite her longer prep time.

"You got the hang of cooking them rather fast." Winry complimented, after a few silent moments of eating had passed. She had already decided not to mention the slightly over-cooked side of one of her pancakes. For his first time cooking them – he really had done well. Winry, herself, had burnt almost half the batter before she started getting the hang of it. Of course she was only 6 at the time.

"Wasn't that hard." Ed boasted, taking another bite.

"Once Winry helped." Al couldn't help but add. It didn't do to let Ed get too exuberant about his minor achievements. It made it unbearable when he accomplished something worthy of praise.

"Yea… well, I'd have figured it out eventually." Ed countered, a small pout forming around bites.

"Before or after we had to make another batch of batter?" Winry's eyes gleamed with mischief. Her headache was much improved – and with her appetite being sated, she found herself in a playful mood.

Ed scowled, but tactfully chose not to comment. Winry was not the only one who felt a contented sensation at the three of them sitting at the table together. For Ed, ever since reassuring himself that Winry really was going to be ok – the evening had been one his most pleasant since… since a long time ago.

The two teens wasted no time in cutting down the stack of pancakes. Soon only two remained.

Winry pressed her fork down to snatch the larger of the two. It looked to be the largest of the lot, easily bigger by half than any of the other pancakes.

Ed intercepted, sliding his fork under hers and deflecting it with a metallic twang.

"Surely the cook, deserves first dibs on the last pancake?" Ed's eyes were beady and focused, his tone taking on a possessive tone, as a playful spark, rarely seen, lit up his face. He held up his fork as if it were a sword, pointing it at his childhood friend.

Winry's blue eyes flashed as they locked with his. She slowly swapped her grip and raised her own fork, accepting his challenge.

"Then surely the one who made the batter in the first place deserves to reap the honor of choosing her last morsel." She taunted.

Al groaned, recognizing their seriousness of purpose.

"The big one is mine." Ed said saucily, thrusting the fork at Winry as if fencing with her.

Winry quickly countered his fork with her own. Another metallic twang resonated throughout the kitchen.

"No way a shrimp like you needs that big of a pancake!"

"Oh yea? I bet a fat old hag like you wouldn't miss a few bites!"

Winry lunged forward and very nearly caught Ed's head with her angry swipe. If not for Ed's quick reflexes he would be sporting a very awkward cut. Instead of perturbing him from their mock battle, it excited him. He didn't know Winry had such good reflexes.

Ed jumped to his feet, hoping to gain a momentary advantage of height.

But seconds later, Winry also sprang to her feet and his advantage was now a weakness.

Al watched for a moment, as the two fenced with forks, wicked grins splayed across both their faces.

Under their noses, but completely unnoticed by the warring teens, Al pulled the center plate to him. Using a knife, he neatly sliced the cakes in half transferring exactly half each onto his brothers and Winry's places. The switch was easy. Getting their attention was harder.

"Um... guys?" Al called tentatively.

"Be quiet Al." Ed commanded, his eyes not leaving Winrys as he tried to read her next move.

"Yea – Al. Don't distract him. I don't want him to cry 'interference' like a little five year old, when I beat him to this pancake fair and square."

"But..." Al began.

"As IF you could beat me with this arm," Ed pulled his automail arm up and showed off his metal bicep. "YOU'VE unwittingly given ME the advantage!" Ed laughed – waving his fork menacingly.

"But I know your weak spot!" Winry cried, dropping her fork and wiggling her fingers.

Ed paused, she was threatening to tickle him. Over pancakes? In the silence of his shock Al finally found an opening.

"You each have half! Now sit down and eat them before they get stone cold!" he bellowed.

The older teens looked sheepishly down at their plates and the pancakes halves.

Winry shot Al a smile.

"Thank you Al. That was really sweet."

Ed grumbled. "You're just happy cause I SO would have beaten you..."

"Anytime you feel frisky." Winry managed to hold her fork out and keep a serious face for about two seconds. Then she burst out laughing. Al and Ed's laughter joined her shortly.

"Wow… I haven't had this much fun in a long time." She commented once she could breathe again.

"Yea…" Ed agreed

"It reminds me of how we used to try to keep each other awake when you would stay over. Do you remember that?" Winry turned hopeful eyes on the state alchemist.

Ed's eyes glazed over, as he struggled to recall the moment Winry was talking about.

Winry shifted her gaze to Al who seemed to be thinking deeply as well.

She sighed. What a curse it was to remember all these wonderful times, when the two people she shared them with didn't recall them! It was almost as if she made them all up in her head, even if she knew she didn't. She struggled not to sulk as it became apparent the brothers were clueless.

Damnit. Ed was raking his brain… he knew he should know this. He knew that by NOT knowing, it was upsetting Winry… but for the life of him he couldn't remember what she was talking about. Finally Al's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Ano… wasn't it because the person who even fell asleep first… got the first pancake?" Although he didn't have an expression – the smile in his voice was evident as well as contagious.

"First, AND biggest." Winry reminded. Ed realized with a startle Al was right.

"Oh man, how could I forget?! That's how that old hag used to get us to go to sleep every time!"

Winry giggled.

"Yup. She used to say that if she didn't do that we would never have gone to bed at all!"

"And you guys always cheated!" Ed yelled suddenly, his face red and angry. To his dismay, Al and Winry broke out laughing.

"That's because… you… always used… to win!" Winry cried out in between laughs.

"Yea, brother, you've always been able to go right to sleep."

"But that doesn't mean you get to cheat!" Ed cried, "You guys were mean!"

"I hardly think putting make-up on you constitutes as mean." Winry said haughtily.

"It is when you let the dog lick it off!" Ed countered only to inspire more giggles.

"Oh wow… we… we did do that… didn't we, Al?" Winry's face was read and she was barely able to talk in-between laughs.

"I don't understand… why Den liked… the lipstick so much!!" Al cried, still laughing.

"But… you were so funny when you'd wake up!" Winry addressed Ed as she and Al dissolved helplessly into laugher once again.

In the light of such joy, Ed wasn't able to keep the scowl on his face, and slowly without his being aware it morphed into a tender smile.

As Winry settled down, she did a quick mental check. Her headache had lessoned so much that she had actually forgotten about it. Although it was still there – a dull throbbing – it was quite bearable. With her hunger abated, she felt much better. Laughter really was the best medicine, she supposed.

As a comfortable silence once again fell over the occupants of the kitchen, Al spoke up.

"You guys really should finish your pancakes." He said.

Automatically, Winry reached for the butter when she caught Ed's guilty face. She looked down at the untouched cakes on both their plates and put two and two together.

"You're not hungry any more!" She pointed a finger at Ed. "After all that – and you're not even hungry."

Ed sputtered angrily for a moment until he realized Winry wasn't in any hurry to finish her own.

"I don't see you tearing yours apart."

"Well… I'm actually pretty full." She admitted.

"Me too." Ed grinned.

"After all that – you don't even want them?!" Al groaned.

"Nope." Winry snatched Ed's plate and dumped the cakes onto her plate, set it on the floor and whistled for Den.

The faithful dog came from the living room, where she had retreated to sometime between Al setting the table and Winry and Ed's fork battle.

Sniffing the plate tentatively, the dog wasted no time wolfing down the pancakes by halves.

"Hey… I thought you didn't like pancakes." Ed addressed the dog in a hurt tone, looking back at her bowl which contained his previous failures.

"She doesn't like pancake batter." Winry pointed out. "When they're cooked – she likes them just fine. Don't you girl?" Winry cooed as she began petting the dog. Suddenly a huge yawn split her mouth open.

Ed's eyes swung to the clock. It was after 2 in the morning!

"Wow… it got late." He commented.

"Yea." Winry agreed, not having to look at the clock to guess the hour. She almost didn't want to go to bed… to end this wonderful evening. But she knew she was already going to be cranky tomorrow. She stretched a second, wincing briefly when her back pulled back, reminding her of her fall earlier. "I should just get this..." she reached for the plates front of them and was startled by Ed's hand on her own.

"Don't worry about that. Al and I will clean up."

Winry opened her mouth to argue, but stopped herself quickly. Hey they never offered to do chores before – why not let them help now? She wondered.

"But…" She heard herself protest almost against her will. "What about your train, it's early in the morning…" Al spoke up.

"Honestly, Winry, it will give me something to do tonight." Al agreed eagerly.

Winry only hesitated a second. She knew how lonely Al could get at night. After all she and he had spent many of them awake together after Ed's loss of limbs.

"All right then, if you're sure." She agreed.

"Positive. Don't you worry about it – we'll take care of everything." Ed agreed, standing to escort her to the stairs.

"And don't just stack them in the sink, Ed. Syrup's a bear to get off the next day." She warned.

"Got it." Ed said. "Goodnight." He chimed as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Winry opened her mouth to respond in kind with Al's voice cut her off.

"Winry are you sure you'll be ok on your own until auntie Pinako comes back? I mean…I'm sure we could..." Al trailed off as he caught the reproachful look on Ed's face, as his brother turned from their friend to affix his gaze on Al. It startled him. Al was sure Ed was worried too. While Winry seemed much improved from her fall... he wanted to make sure she'd be alright. Maybe she needed… or would like them to stay a day or two. So why did Ed look so upset that Al had brought it up and asked her? Was Ed really so determined to get going on their quest and ignore the possible needs of their best friend?

Winry paused, her lips thinning slightly. Hadn't she already proved to them that they needn't worry so much about her? But before she could get angry, a warm feeling settled in her stomach – they really were concerned, because they cared. It was touching to know, if Al's almost question were any indication, if she really needed them to – they would stay. She found a smile already blooming at their… at Al's consideration.

"Al, I'll really be just fine. Thank you for being so concerned, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You two..." she hesitated here; unsure exactly how to phrase it as she looked from Al to Ed… Ed to Al. "Be careful." She settled on. Her thinly arched eyebrows furrowed above her sparkling cerulean blue eyes, speaking louder than words, her gratitude over Al's incomplete gesture and her concern for them as they departed once again from her life.

"We will." Ed said softly. "Feel better." He chimed in, a disarming grin on his face.

"Don't worry, I will." Winry couldn't help but return... as she headed up to bed. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask them to wake her the next morning before they left... but she was afraid they would refuse, or agree and still not do it. She decided that accepting the inevitability was beter than being dissapointed, and continued up to her room silently.

As soon as the click of the closed door reached the brothers, Al turned to Ed.

"Brother... What's going on?" he asked in a knowing tone.

Ed grinned. He and his brother were so well tuned to each other, there wasn't much he could keep a secret for long.

"Well, Al. I have an idea..." Ed's golden eyes twinkled and Al eagerly listened to his brother's plan.

_tbc…_

* * *

WHEW! Sorry for the delay in updating. First I got way sick and then Easter – and now I'm final coating drywall so I can paint my room! Really I've been sleeping in the basement WAAAAY too long!

So… I promise my next update will be faster – you shouldn't have to wait a WHOLE WEEK! LoL Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading thus far!


	8. Chapter 8

**Heavy **ch 8

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Last Chapter: ""Well, Al – I have an idea." Ed's golden eyes twinkled as Al eagerly listened to his brother's plan."

* * *

Bright late afternoon sunlight made her face feel warm. Winry smiled as she woke, enjoying the tingling sensation of warmth where the sun kissed her skin. She quickly squinted her eyes against the harsh rays, when she tried to open them against the full glory of the day.

Her headache was diminished from last night – but having light stabbed into her sleepy pupils was not helping, she decided. Rolling out of bed, Winry rubbed her abused eyes, trying to clear the pink and green spots from her vision. The house around her was completely silent as if in testament to its emptiness.

She looked over at the clock to confirm what she already knew. It was well after noon. The boys' train would have left a long while ago. They always purchased morning tickets as if wanting to cut their ties as early as possible each time.

Winry decided she needed a couple more aspirin for her headache as she felt it begin to worse, and she began the slow trek to the kitchen. Her bare feet padded loudly with her first stiff steps on carpet and cold wood as she walked from her room down the stairs.

She chastised herself at her disappointment that her friends hadn't woken her before they left. Why should she be so disappointed at something so predictable? They NEVER woke her – always choosing to sneak out while she was sleeping.

She supposed it was just their way of avoiding saying good-bye. Still she'd thought perhaps with Pinako gone they'd at least wake her to TELL her they were leaving. Maybe thank her for the basket of food she'd left by Ed's cape the night before. But she recognized hopeful thinking.

"Ingrates." She mumbled as she stepped into the kitchen, the insult not making her feel any better.

The smell of coffee perked her up and pissed her off at the same time. Ed must have left the pot ON from this morning, if the kitchen still smelled like...

"Who's an ingrate?" Winry spun and almost had a heart attack when she found the elder Elric sitting at her kitchen table, reading a newspaper and grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

Winry's hand covered her racing heart.

"You did that on purpose!" she accused in a loud voice.

"Did what?" Ed asked as he stood with both arms open in an innocent expression. His smile, however, indicated he knew exactly what he did – as well as knowing the 'ingrates' she was talking about were him and Al.

"Scared the daylight out of me!" Winry cried. "I thought you left..." Her anger turned quickly to concern, "Didn't your train leave this morning? What are you still doing here? Is your automail ok?" She hammered questions out one after the other, as she rushed over to him and took his metal wrist in both her hands. She turned it first one way and then the other inspecting his arm critically.

"What, not happy to see me?" Ed accused tilting his head, with a slight pout on his face.

Winry scowled, dropping his arm suddenly and backing away from her friend while throwing her hands to her hips and tapping her foot in her agitation. "You know it's not that... it's just you said you HAD to be back..." Her eyebrows drew together in confusion.

Ed shrugged as if it were an everyday occurrence.

"We exchanged our tickets... Decided to stay a couple extra days. Is that ok?" He asked in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Of course it is!" Winry's joyous cry turned skeptical, "But I thought you told me you had an assignment..." her blue eyes darkened.

"Eh," Ed shrugged, "I told 'em my automail wasn't done yet..." Ed's eyes were closed with a satisfied smirk on his face. His arms were crossed arrogantly in an 'aren't-I-the-cleverest-boy-ever?' pose. Thus he didn't see, nor did he have any defense for, the can opener that flew from the kitchen counter to land smack on the side of his head.

"What the HELL was that for?!" Ed screamed as he reclaimed his feet from the puddle he'd landed in on the kitchen floor.

"What, you think you can just ruin my reputation as an automail mechanic by insinuating that I couldn't complete you measly **little** update on time?!..." Winry yelled back at him.

"Who the hell are you calling so small that his automail updates are too tiny to take any time to complete?!" Ed cried on instinct before calming himself and rubbing his abused head. This was certainly not going according to plan. "Tsk… I thought you'd be happy we stayed... not beat me to a pulp."

Winry, paused... "Well I am happy." She said slowly, as if just realizing. "Of course I am." A grin split her face until her brain kicked in again and she scowled at Ed. "But, couldn't you have just told him you wanted to take a few days off?" Honestly, had he no respect for her all the hard work she put into earning her reputation?

Ed shrugged. "You know the military has regulations about time off… and requesting it ahead of time and stuff." His head bowed slightly, his lips drew together in not-exactly a pout – but something close to one.

Winry raised an eyebrow, but could tell Ed was being honest for once, about his reasoning. Suddenly she felt a little guilty for laying him out on the floor. As a small gesture of apology, she picked up the can opened from the spot on the floor it had landed after bouncing a fair distance from Ed's head. She turned from Ed to put it back in the drawer.

"I'm… really glad you stayed." Her voice was much softer as she pulled out a cup to fill with coffee for herself. She paused for a moment and the silence stretched across the kitchen before she spoke again. "But I guess I feel a little guilty too…" Her left hand strayed absent-mindedly up to the lump on her head. "I mean…" She stopped speaking suddenly as a warm hand engulfed hers gently. She hadn't even heard his footsteps across the kitchen.

Winry felt her breath leave her lungs and drew her hand back with the thought that the action might remind her to breathe. As she took a shaky breath she was surprised when Ed kept his hand gently over her injury, cupping the back of her head and stepping close to her so her back was pressed against him.

She turned to look over her right shoulder at Ed, who stood just behind her with a tender look on his face. She could only hold his eyes a moment before she turned forward again, feeling his cheek rest in the crook of her neck.

"I didn't do it for this." As Ed spoke to her his automail arm reached around her waist, pinning her against him. Winry didn't know what to think, she almost froze from the unusual contact, but forced herself to relax into his embrace as Ed continued speaking.

"Maybe… maybe it did make me think about some things. But I… I wanted to do something for you. Something more than just buying you stuff when we go shopping or paying you for the incredible work you do to keeping me up and running." Ed's breath tickled the small hairs on Winry's neck, but rather than giving her chills it was spreading warmth. She felt Ed swallowed thickly before continuing. Winry could feel his heartbeat – fast and strong against her back. It soothed her as he continued speaking.

"I thought you might enjoy it if Al and I stayed a few days where you didn't have to worry about repairing anything." By the end of Ed's speech, Winry didn't know which of the two of them was more red.

"Thanks." Winry said, her brilliant smile telling all. "I'll be like... almost like old times." She corrected wistfully, leaning back into Ed, who nodded.

For a timeless moment they stayed like that – Ed's hand cradling Winry's head and her leaning back against him. It didn't even occur to them that Winry was in a light cotton night dress that barely reached mid-thigh. Nor did either worry about the passage of time. They simply stood pressed against one another – supporting one another – sharing the same space. And with the mutual mingling of their body heat – each found themselves strangely content with the moment.

However time, as they say, has a way of moving on.

Al burst into the back door of the kitchen and Winry and Ed flew apart – both faces equally red as if caught in the act of actually doing something worth being embarrassed about.

"Brother, I..." Al paused a moment, looking from one to the other. "Good Afternoon Winry!" he chimed after a few seconds, wisely deciding not to comment. Ed cursed how Al could look so knowing with just a suit of armor. And the smile in his voice was unmistakable when he spoke next.

"I exchanged the tickets, like you asked, and on the way back I noticed that the pears look about ripe across the river." His knowing tone faded into one of childhood excitement as he continued his narration, "AND the water's low enough that we can hop the stepping stones! Remember how we used to go all the time when we were little? Don't you think it will be fun? Do you guys want to go?" Al practically hopped from one foot to the other, and Ed congratulated himself. He hadn't seen his brother this happy in a long time. This excited to do something so simple. Before Ed could form any words past the happy lump in his throat he heard Winry speak.

"That sounds wonderful, Al. But I just crawled out of bed, and I need some aspirin and a cup of coffee first." Winry said empathetically. "But then we should all go. I haven't been across the creek in a long time!" She flashed a huge grin remembering all the times when they were young that they'd cross the river against their parent's wishes. Ed felt his heart constrict further. Had he ever seen the two of them… no the three of them so happy? He was sure he hadn't and was content in the knowledge that he'd done something right for once.

Al retreated gracefully from the kitchen, promising to return in a bit, as Winry opened the sugar canister on the counter to add to her, as yet, empty cup.

"Oh, we're almost out..." Winry commented, trying to figure out if there was enough sprinkled across teh very bottom of the... to satisfy her sweet tooth in regards to her cup of coffee.

"Yea... sorry about that." Ed's hand sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, waiting for the thunderous recoil of her disappointment over the loss of her morning coffee.

Instead she smiled as she turned to him.

"It's ok. I'll just get some more from the pantry."

Ed looked around the small kitchen in confusion.

"The pantry?" he echoed her words as if repetition could further explain them.

"Yea, it's in the basement. Goof." Winry chirped as she began her trek to her workshop to get to the basement.

"How am I supposed to know you had a pantry in the basement?" Ed asked slightly hurt – and frustrated he hadn't known. Winry paused a moment as if trying to decide if he was serious.

"You lived here for over a year." She explained slowly. "I just figured you'd have known at one time or another." She kept her voice casual, but noticed the hurt look flit across Ed's face. She turned toward the workshop, eager to end this branch of conversation. Ed's hand on her arm, stopped her. She was startled by the intensity of his suddenly dark expression.

"I... I uh, haven't cleaned anything up." He warned. His expression wavering from ... to guilt.

Winry hesitated, wondering what he was going on about before it hit her. These were the same stairs she fell down yesterday. The box was probably overturned. Winry shrugged. "SO what...? It's my mess. I can clean it up."

"Yea – but..." Ed paused a second before volunteering. "I can help." He called after her retreating back... he hastened his steps to catch up to her just as she reached the open doorway.

_tbc..._

* * *

AM: Plotless fluff – la la la… me lova plotless fluff lalala. Oh – whoopsie – it's author's notes time! LOL I'm a little high on artificial sweetener today. I hate the stuff, but I'm outta sugar at work. sigh So, anyway, thank you very much for reading this far. I hope you're still enjoying this little story! A special thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. It's such a great feeling to see that nifty e-mail from good 'ole "bot" at fanfiction . net!


	9. Chapter 9

**Heavy **ch 9

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Last Chapter: "Winry hesitated, wondering what he was going on about before it hit her. These were the same stairs she fell down yesterday. The box was probably overturned. Winry shrugged. "SO what...? It's my mess. I can clean it up."

"Yea – but..." Ed paused a second before volunteering. "I can help." He called after her retreating back... he hastened his steps to catch up to her just as she reached the open doorway."

* * *

"The basement's packed. I don't know how much room there is for us both to maneuver – Oh wow." Ed heard Winry's gasp as she reached the doorway and looked down the still-lit basement stairs. "You found me at the bottom?" she asked Ed, her voice suddenly soft as if they had entered a church during mass.

Ed nodded, but after a moment, realizing Winry's gaze was fixed on the mess at the bottom, found his voice through the strange tightness in his chest.

"Yea."

"Well no wonder you were so worried. A lot of this metal could have easily impaled me." Winry spoke matter-of-factly as her eyes roamed the many 3 dimensional pieces of metal with sharp edges scattered along the floor. One particularly nasty looking piece was on the stair that would have been just above Winry's head.

"Yea." Ed managed to get past the constricting of this throat mentally cursing his sudden mono-syllable vocabulary. It amazed him that she was so calm, despite using words like "impaled" in regards to herself. Everything really was a textbook to the girl. Didn't she realize that she could have died?

Winry continued to file away the details of the scattered items. She noticed most of the rods that had been scattered weren't sharp, per se, but if the almost black and very painful bruise on Winry's hip were any indication – they didn't have to be sharp to hurt. Finally, she came out of her contemplative silence only to notice that Ed was also being silent; truly a rare occurrence.

Taking in the stricken look face, as he continued to survey the stairs, Winry decided that Ed's thoughts were much too morbid for a day of picking pears.

With a mirthful grin she stepped back slightly and shoved Ed forward as if pushing him down the stairs.

His arms pin-wheeled chaotically trying to keep his balance while his heavy automail arm put him at a severe disadvantage. A very girlish squeak escaped his throat until Winry yanked him back by the belt loops of his pants, which she had grabbed as she pushed him forward.

Propelled by the extra weight of his automail, Ed flew back into Winry with more force than she'd expected. She was unable to prepare herself and the teens wound up in a pile on the floor with Ed practically sitting in Winry's lap.

Ed scrambled off his friend, whirling on his knees to face his attacker. His face was beet red from embarrassment at his reaction and anger at her audacity to joke about something so recently after it occurred. But Winry's face stopped his tirade before it began.

Her face was also red, but it wasn't from embarrassment or even surprise. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her blonde hair shook as she hiccupped in a desperate attempt to get air into her lungs. She was laughing so hard – she didn't even have time to inhale air to give it much sound causing her near-silent laughter to bubble out in short intense spasms.

Such joy on her face was rare for Ed to see, and in the light of such happiness – he couldn't hold onto his anger. He felt it slip from his body like sand through an hourglass and before he knew it he had a smile on his face. A few seconds later he found himself chuckling along with her.

When Winry heard him join in, she was able to force her eyes open and take a few deep breaths. She flashed him a grin as Ed reclaimed his feet and offered Winry a hand up.

"S-S-sss-sorry." Winry choked out as she used Ed to pull herself to a standing position. "I kn-know I s-s-shouldn'tave!" She took a few deep breaths, the smile remaining on her face. "But it was just too perfect!!"

Ed shrugged as he remembered how easy it was for Winry to put things like that behind her. He grinned, to show her there were no hard feelings.

Assured by Ed's smile, Winry calmed herself and began trudging down the stairs ahead of Ed. She retrieved the scarcely damaged card board box from the bottom, marveling at its durability, and began picking up the metal wires and other pieces that seemed to be scattered to the four corners of the already cluttered basement.

Hearing the chime of metal on metal behind her she stopped to find Ed, reaching under a shelf to retrieve a rod. She felt bad that he would be helping her clean up her mess… afterall it had been her own stupid fault that she'd dropped the box.

"You… you really don't have to help out you know, I can get it." She finally spoke after Ed had deposited the rod in the box.

"Winry…" Ed paused before continuing. He shoved aside his first response, which was to be angry at her for always feeling the need to do things by herself. He reminded himself that Winry did not have the luxury of a sibling who was around all the time to understanding how much easier things could be with an extra person. She was used to doing things on her own and being independent.

"I don't mind helping." He finished in a tone that was softer, but left no room for argument.

Winry hesitated, as if she wanted to say something else before finally smiling and the two continued to pick up the debris around the basement.

While his hands were busy, Ed's mind was racing.

Out of the blue, he made the perfect connection to Winry when she confessed her fear of being weak. He remembered being shocked by her comment, but had he ever thought to tell her how strong she was? He grinned and caught Winry's apprehensive gaze as he spoke, finally breaking the comfortable silence.

"What Al said yesterday was true you know?" he told her, pressing on when he translated the confused look on her face.

"About you being strong, I mean. Accepting help… doesn't make you less strong. Strength isn't measured in muscles or how much weight you can carry. Not true strength anyway." He grinned at the hopeful expression on her face, as they both stood still regarding each other. "As far as real strength goes - you're the strongest person I know." Ed spoke earnestly.

Winry froze. Maybe it was the light behind his eyes, more fierce than she could remember. Perhaps it was the heated way he spoke the words, as if his vehemence alone could convince her of his honesty. Or it could be that for once, Edward Elric was looking straight at her – not just the Winry he remembered or the Winry that he needed – but the Winry she was, all she was.

Whatever the reason, Winry felt her knees shake just a little as his steadfast gaze continued to hold captive her own. It was almost as if he could see deeper into her soul than anyone had ever looked before.

Finally, she felt if she didn't turn from his molten eyes she may never be able to. She jerked her gaze down to the dark cement floor and took a deep breath, trying to cool her heated face.

"You keep talking like that and I'm going to ask if YOU weren't the one who hit their head instead." She mumbled. "Or maybe…" Her voice turned wistful, "…maybe I never really woke up and this has all been a dream. You've been acting very odd since yesterday…"

Her words trailed off as she felt fingers under her chin, softly urging her face up.

"I told you." Ed said gently as her eyes rose to meet his. "I thought about some things…" he trailed off, slowly stepping closer, easily halving the distance between the two of them while keeping his hand on her chin.

"You always did think too much." Winry said before shutting her mouth quickly. What was that, an invitation? Was she honestly going to goad him into kissing her? Winry could feel her heart banging in her chest like the bass drum in a marching band. 'Oh my god Ed is going to kiss me!' Was the only thought her brain was able to comprehend over the rushing of blood that pounded in her ears, as Ed leaned in closer.

'Can I really kiss her? Is she just going to let me kiss her?' Were the thoughts overpowering Ed's mind as he pushed his hand back from her chin his thumb tracing her jaw line. Winry shivered when he passed over her bare collarbone. Finally his hand stopped as it cupped the back of her head and his face continued the slow path to her lips.

Time stopped, the need to breathe stopped. The only thing the teens were aware of was how close their lips were to touching.

When they were mere inches from their first kiss ever in their 16 years – the clamoring of metal could be heard on a trek down the basement stairs. Both Ed and Winry jumped back before Al reached the bottom and the younger brother was left to ponder their red faces as they both stood on opposite ends of the basement.

"Hey guys." Al said casually, waving his gauntlet in a small gesture. His posture was a little too casual in Ed's opinion, and he knew he'd have explaining to do later. "You've been down here for a long time." Al continued the smile very notable in his voice. "What 'cha doing?"

"We were picking up Winry's mess." Ed said – the tenderness gone, as if it had never been there, and a new taunting tone in his voice.

Winry's temper immediately flared.

"The mess that you_** offered**_ to help with!" She retorted.

"Before I knew it was going to take most of the afternoon." Ed grumbled, rolling his eyes, and crossing his arms.

Winry opened her mouth to retort and instead started laughing. She wasn't sure at first, but the eye roll gave it away. Ed was trying to pick a fight with her so Al wouldn't be so suspicious. Of what? That they almost kissed? Why did it matter? She wondered briefly.

Ed blinked in confusion, wondering what was so funny. Al, at least, joined Ed in his bewilderment.

Ed was still very uncomfortable, having finally built up the courage to try to kiss Winry had taken a lot – and with his spontaneously planned attempt so completely interrupted he felt jittery and even more nervous about trying again.

"Never change, Ed." Winry said cryptically, after she calmed her laughter and reclaimed her breath. Suddenly, she turned around and opened a door that Ed had never noticed before. "Just a second Al." she addressed the younger Elric, "When I find the sugar – I'll fill my thermos with coffee and we can head right out." She called as she disappeared past the door into a cool, dark room they used for their pantry.

"Oh… ok." Al said, still mystified. "You can take your time, I just wondered… cause it's a long walk and it might get dark before we get home…"

"And we wouldn't want to be in after dark or we might get in tra-ou-ble!" Winry sing-song voice taunted the boys as she searched for the strangely elusive bag of sugar.

The brothers exchanged a look before Al chimed in.

"Well, who would guide us home if we were all outside?" He asked innocently.

Ed grinned at his brother, fondly remembering the time they'd come with Armstrong and showed him their burned house. The night Winry had turned on the lantern, like their mother had so long ago.

Winry's thoughts were on the same track as she emerged from the small room, a soft smile on her face and a bag of sugar in her hands.

"You should remember, Al, that the stars in Risembool are brighter than anywhere else in the world." She said haughtily. "They'll make sure we get home just fine." She said leveling a stare at Ed.

Ed, was glad for the darkness when a blush crept up, as his paraphrased words came back to him. He remembered telling Winry that the stars were more beautiful here than anywhere else during one of his more recent visits. It was strange how poetic it sounded coming from Winry's lips. He hadn't meant it like that, but he was glad he gave her something fond to remember.

Still, he didn't have time to tarry as Winry had already started up the stairs without the brothers. Al paused, waiting for Ed to follow her. When the elder brother reached the stairs Al asked him, softly so Winry couldn't hear.

"Are you alright, brother?"

Ed grinned. The concern his brother had for him was more than evident in his voice. But for once he could answer the question honestly with a huge trademark grin.

"Never better, Al." He said as he clapped his brother on the arm and started up the stairs. "Never Better." He repeated liking how true the words felt.

_tbc…_

* * *

A/N: Tee-Hee! I'm back!! So so SO SORRY for the delay in this chapter. My coworker stole (ok accidentally borrowed) my memory stick at work, and I really REALLY didn't want to rewrite this chapter. So I had to wait for him to get back from vacation (jerk went to PARIS!! I'm so jealous!) so he could get it from his house and give it back. I worked really hard to edit this today and get it out for everyone!

While I can't promise for sure that the next chapters will not have any delay, I will say that I have no desire to leave another month interval in between updating. To be honest, my larger delays (with the exceptio of this last one) stem from how seriously far off I am from my original outline... I feel I must confess that the 'planned story' ended like 4 or 5 chapters ago… So, I'm pretty much winging it at this point. I think Ed, Winry, and Al have more control over this story than I do (but don't tell them that, lest they start making demands!). Still I'll keep writing, so long as I keep having ideas for the next chapters. I feel like the fluff will never end!

A special thanks to everyone who has taken the time out of their busy lives to leave me such wonderful reviews. It is the best feeling in the world to know that other people are enjoying what I'm having fun putting on paper.


	10. Chapter 10

**Heavy **ch 10

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Last Chapter: ""Never better, Al." He Ed said as he clapped his brother on the arm and started up the stairs. "Never Better." He repeated, liking how true the words felt."

* * *

Once the trio reached the kitchen, Winry flew into action. Within minutes she had prepared a thermos of coffee for herself and prepared sandwiches to bring with them. The brothers looked on helplessly. Neither knew how to offer help to their friend who was so obviously used to accomplishing the menial tasks unaided.

Al started towards her twice, only to have her almost trip over him both times on her way to collect needed items.

It was when the oblivious woman caught Ed shuffling for the third time that Winry even noticed they were simply standing there watching her. Her eyes rose to meet Ed's as he asked awkwardly.

"Is… there anything you… we could help with?"

Winry bit her lip to keep back the smile. She knew he'd only think she was teasing him if she let loose with the huge grin that threatened to burst from her face. His request warmed her unexpectedly, and a fleeting thought of how quickly she could get used to this new and improved side of Ed ran through her mind before she struggled to find something to give them to do.

The task was made trickier as she'd already finished preparing everything to take. She couldn't give him anything menial… lest she face his ire. Surely there was something left he was capable of doing. Something she was planning on doing until he interrupted her train of thought... Suddenly it occurred to her.

"If you could grab a couple baskets to carry the pears back in." Winry waved toward her nightgown. "That would give me time to change." The baskets should be…" her eyes glazed over and rose upward as if searching for something far off in the sky, beyond even the ceiling she seemed to be looking through. A thoughtful expression took over her features as she brought both her hands up over her mouth and nose and inhaled slowly.

The image in front of Ed's eyes faded suddenly to a much-younger Winry doing the exact same thing. Her sundress was yellow with purple flowers on it. Her short hair was done into two spiky pigtails with braided purple yarn dangling from the base.

Her parents… proving that Winry (and Ed, himself) must have been very young indeed… were demanding she return the stethoscope she had taken earlier and she was trying to remember where she put it. She had lost track with the Elrics for most of the afternoon, and Ed could feel the crawling feeling of unease as her parents sternly lectured the young girl (and inadvertently her friend who stood next to her) about taking responsible when borrowing other's things.

After a few moments of breathing slow – Winry's face lit up and she turned an abrupt about-face and took off running to the living room. She found the stethoscope in the cushions of the couch where she'd used it on Den earlier.

Once her parents had gone, Ed had asked the young girl what that was all about.

Winry, misreading his question, launched into a tirade almost word for word what her parents had just iterated about responsibility in regards to things that did not belong to you and the difference between tools and toys.

"Not that!" Ed exclaimed, cutting her short. His face red at the insinuation that he didn't hear the same lecture she just did. "Why'd you cover your face like this?" He asked wide-eyed as he brought his hands up over his own mouth and nose in a mimic of her action.

A light blush covered Winry's cheeks as she stuttered around an explanation.

"Well… did you know that when you get excited you tend to breathe harder?" She started by asking.

Ed nodded slowly, although he'd never thought about it before.

"Well – that's cause your body is filling your blood with oxygen in case you need use energy to run away or fight. But… the problem is that with so much oxygen in your blood – if you're trying to remember something… all the excitement does is push what you're trying to think about away and make you want to do something."

"Like what?" Ed asked.

"…Well… Like I sometimes tap my foot or move my thumbs around real fast. And it makes me forget even more!" Winry said excitingly before calming down and continuing in a knowledgeable voice for one so young, "Also, getting too excited about it can make you breathe really fast and hyperven-nilate!"

"What's that?" Ed's curiosity overtook his embarrassment of not knowing the word his friend had used.

"It's where you pass out from too much oxygen in your body!"

"You can have too much oxygen?"

"Uh-huh!"

"I always thought oxygen was good for you..." Ed trailed off with a frown.

"Granny says that too much of anything is bad." Winry said seriously.

"And you sometimes do that?" Ed asked, more than concerned. "Pass out?"

"Oh-no-no-no!" Winry assured him, her small hands waving in front of her. "But I've read in some of my parents books that they take people who were in shock and breathing really fast a paper bag to breathe into… that lets the carbon diox-id build up and keeps them relaxed instead of passing out. So…" Young Winry looked at the toe of her slip on shoes, suddenly nervous, "I tried it one time in school when I was freaked out about a question on a test that I knew I knew, you know?"

Ed wasn't sure but nodded anyway. Winry barely acknowledged his agreement and continued on.

"I HATE when that happens." She stomped her foot, "And the more I thought about how I KNEW the answer the more upset I was. When the time was almost up I knew I had to calm down or I'd never be able to think. I didn't have a paper bag, so I used my hands."

As Winry continued to explain her uncertainty faded and what Ed dubbed her 'know-it-all tone' of voice could be heard.

"And I remembered it!" She finished her story with her bright blue eyes shining. Proud of her reasoning, and most of all of the fact that it helped her remember.

"That's nice." Ed said, happy but jealous. Winry read a lot of her parents' books and she was so smart. Mom told him and Al that they shouldn't disturb his fathers books and he couldn't help but wonder if he read them if he would sound as smart as his friend did.

The memory snapped back into real life as Al bumped him hard on the shoulder. He jerked from his vision to the much older, taller and more beautiful… (wait where'd THAT thought come from?) girl that was once again standing there, in her nightgown – with her hands covering her mouth and nose and her breathing slowly as if meditating.

"Good Morning." Al whispered, his voice heavy with sarcasm. Ed, ducked his head, knowing his younger brother thought he was just mindlessly ogling their friend. The older boy also knew that denying it – no matter how true his explanation – would only fuel his brother's conviction of Ed's guilt. Especially after the recent basement incident.

Besides... Ed had just thought about how much cuter she was than when they were kids. Wasn't that close enough to Al's train of thought?

Ed had never heard about anything about Winry's 'method for remembering' before or since, but it made a certain sense to him. Even with his slightly matured thought process. So he took it as something that was semi-superstitious with a child's logic and more importantly, belief, behind it.

Finally, after what was only a few seconds Winry removed her hands from her face, a grin threatening to surface.

"The baskets should be somewhere in the closet under the stairs, I think." Winry said, after focusing her gaze back on the brothers.

"Ok." Al chimed immediately grabbing his brothers arm to jerk him out of his still semi-daze, pulling him twoards the closet. "We'll get them."

"Just be sure to open the door slowly." Winry cautioned as she turned from the boys and practically skipped up the stairs to change.

_tbc…_

* * *

A/N: Ah yea – delays delays. bows my apologies for them. I'm loving the telling of this story and all these things keep popping up to keep the storyline going…(hurray!) but it's a little on the slow side right now (boo!).

I HOPE I didn't slaughter this "memory" scene too badly. I don't feel like I'm very good at writing them as kids, but this exploded in my mind and I had to TRY it. Maybe I've lost touch with my inner child or something. Because other than inserting some 'rugrat' vocabulary (yes that was on purpose) I'm wholly unsatisfied with this. (It's PART of the reason for the delay.) I think I made Winry seem way too much older. shrug But it's done anyway – I can't keep it hidden on my computer and expect any feedback now can I? PLEASE do feel free to give me any pointers that may help me clean this up.

And overall, I hope you enjoyed this update and promise there will be more action and fluff to come!

THANKS, so much, for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Heavy **ch 11

By Suzi a.k.a. KatsyKat

Last Chapter: ""Just be sure to open the closet door slowly." Winry cautioned as she turned from the boys and practically skipped up the stairs."

* * *

"Why? Does the door get scared if you open it too fast?" Ed asked with a haughty grin as he threw the oak-paneled door open, bouncing the handle loudly against the wall to make sure his friend heard it.

To his dismay, a stack of boxes began teetering towards him. With the sudden release of their sole support and the added vibration from the impact of the doorknob they were shaking voilently.

Both Elrics watched with horror as the boxes swayed far enough to lose their center of gravity. Ed rushed forward with his arms outstretched just as they came down on top of him.

The large crash echoed throughout the house. Winry grinned, easily convincing herself the she did NOT tell him that on purpose so that he would do the opposite thing and end up with a bunch of stuff on his head. It served him right for being so easy to goad.

"Told you!" She yelled down the stairs in a taunting voice, before she slammed her bedroom door and turned to her task of getting dressed.

Ed decided long before he'd freed himself from the prison of junk atop him, that Winry was definitely NOT cute (despite his earlier thoughts) – and he wasn't sure why he ever thought so. She was an ugly… VERY ugly, vindictive, woman.

Al was doing his best to hide his laughter, and so far he had been ok. He was somewhat used to his brother antics and well aware of the consequences of lost composure at certain... crucial moments. Also, since yesterday, Al had the feeling that his brother was realizing something long pushed aside that was distracting him and at the same time fueling him to be a little more… carefree.

So the younger brother, deep in his own analytical thoughts, watched everything happen, and was too late to prevent the boxes from falling. He saw Ed disappear under the rubble as box after box flew open and deposited its goods on the young alchemist in a swift, almost simultaneous, motion. Al even briefly considered his qualification for a diplomatic kind of metal for NOT laughing at that point. The domino effect was, after all, pretty humorous to watch.

Then Ed had to pop his head out of the debris he was buried in. At which point, Al completely lost it. The vision of Ed's head in the pile of clutter sent Al crashing over the edge of composure. He laughed for so long he was sure his sides would be hurting if he could feel them.

"Shaddup Al." Ed grumbled after a few seconds, his small voice completely lacking malice. He stood up, slowly, sending clothes, old toys, and books tumbling to the floor around him as he tried to extract himself from the pile as neatly as possible. The fact that the task was impossible without making a larger mess didn't stop Ed from trying for a few minutes to keep everything in a singular pile.

"What do they NOT throw ANYTHING away." The elder brother grumbled as he finally shook the last of the mess, a jump rope, from it's position of being tangled over his boot.

"Well… the basement is pretty much all their spare automail parts. I guess they need a little more storage in the house." Al suggested after slowly calming his laughter.

For a few silent moments Ed and Al stood together surveying the mess. Al didn't have to be a physic to sense the tension from Ed as he took in the combined mess of the overturned boxes.

"At least we found the baskets." Al chirped, trying to lessen his brothers mood. Being careful not to step on anything proved to be easier than it looked with everything coating the floor in a radius of several feet; and so with a single step Al raised his arm and carefully removed the wicker baskets from the hook they were hanging on just inside the closet. Stepping back delicately he began swinging one basket triumphantly in a circle around his outstretched finger.

"Great." Ed grumbled sarcastically, his eyes flickering to the baskets and back to the mess. Even Al "Master-of-Understanding-all-that-is-Ed" was uncertain if he was referring to finding the baskets or the sound of Winry's upstairs door closing, indicating that she had, most likely, finished changing and was on her way down.

After a few echoing steps confirmed her approach, Winry emerged from the top of the stairs and began her trek down. Her sandals made light footsteps on the stairs. A light blue summer dress, a few shades lighter than her eyes, fell to just above her knees. Ed couldn't help but compare it to the dress in his memory. They were quite similar with the frilly/bunched top and flaring skirt. And despite his recent internal declaration of her being 'not cute' the slight blush on his cheeks reminded him that she could indeed be quite beautiful.

Surveying the cluster at the right of the stairs, Winry addressed the elder Elric with a wrinkled nose.

"Is making a mess the ONLY thing your good at?"

"Well, at least I didn't fall down the stairs and knock myself out helplessly before I threw stuff around!" Ed countered, feeling overly defensive because of his of the sheer size of the mess, and completely missing Winry's joking tone. The silence following his remark made him realize him mistake. Oh good, Ed, step on a nerve why don't you?

"Seriously?!" Winry yelled, her face red from embarrassment, as she reached the bottom of the steps. "You're seriously going to use that? Well at least THAT was an accident!"

"What, you're saying I did this on purpose?" As quickly as his regret had appeared so did it vanish, leaving behind a justified anger at her assumption of fault.

"Not so much 'on purpose' as you have to push every single limit placed before you. Like every rule in this world exists for you to break it. I TOLD you to open the door slowly! Did you HAVE to slam it JUST to prove you could?" Winry's hands flew to her hips.

"Prove? Hell no! How was I supposed to know that you had the damn thing completely booby-trapped??" Ed's face was dark red and his eyebrows were so furrowed they were almost touching. His hands were shaking fists at his sides as he struggled valiantly to keep his temper in check.

Despite his anger, his shoulders were hunched up slightly, showing his defense posture. He had slammed the door on purpose. And she had tried to warn him. And now he had given a lame excuse that she was about to cut down in three… two… one…

"Yea, right Ed. I booby-trapped my hall closet, on the off-chance that you'd be staying an extra day, ONE! And TWO on the even MORE off-chance that you'd want to go picking pears so I could send you for the basket after YOU offered to help." Winry counted the points off her fingers with a snarl on her face. Thinking a second longer she added a third finger and then pointed them at Ed, "And three: like I'd risk my grandmother opening the door and giving her a heart attack just to set up a trap for likes of you!" The last line was yelled.

Taking a deep breath she added, much more calmly. "The ONLY reason those boxes fell is because you deliberately threw the door open when I warned you be careful!

"Well the only reason I did that was because you..." Winry paled slightly as she watched the cogs turn in Ed's mind. "You-you did it on purpose!" he sputtered indignantly.

"I did NOT!" Winry shouted even as her red face and guilty expression gave her away.

"You did SO! I can't believe it! You taunted me into throwing the door open. You manipulating brat!"

"Sticks and stones, Ed!" Winry stuck her tongue out at Ed. "And just for THAT outlandish accusation, - of which you have NO proof!" she added hastily, "YOU can be the one to clean up this mess!" She stood, fuming, daring the Elric to argue.

"Man, this is bull! It's YOUR fault in the first place for putting so much junk in here! It's YOUR junk, YOU should clean it!" Ed's voice raised even further and Winry, although feeling slightly guilty, wasn't about to back down.

"And YOU were the one who threw open the door!" You even dented the wall!" She yelled pointing at the offending mark in the plaster.

"Which you KNOW I can fix in TWO SECONDS FLAT" Ed yelled. Throwing up his sleeves and preparing to clap his hands together, he stormed over to the wall.

Wanting none of that, Winry intercepted him by standing directly in front of the wall. The two now found them selves inches away from each other in a very intense stand-off.

"Oh NO you won't! No Alchemy in THIS HOUSE!" She bellowed throwing her arms out as if protecting the wall.

"Oh, again about the Alchemy!" Ed threw his hands down at his sides. "Seriously, what is your problem with Alchemy?"

"I don't HAVE a problem with your stupid hobby." Winry tossed back.

"Than why call it stupid?"

"Because it is!"

"Resorting to a rather childish vocabulary to discuss your real feelings, arn't we?"

"Well, I DO have to match the comprehension abailities of my audience." Winry sneered, "That doesn't mean I have a problem with it."

"That why, Miss-I-Don't-Have-A-Problem, do you always freak out whenever it's brought up?"

"I do NOT freak out!"

"You do so! You JUST did!" Ed accused, pointing at the dent in the wall.

"Maybe I just don't like the idea of you thinking you can fix whatever you want so easily!"

"That's ridiculous! Alchemy isn't like magic – there IS work involved."

"I know plenty about what's involved."

"If you really did you wouldn't be so squeamish about a little…"

"I **also** know that there's always a cost!" Winry interrupted daringly. The silence dropped on the room like a stone.

Ed, opened his mouth once, twice a third time before shutting it with a click.

Both teens, stood hotly, frozen with their hands on their hips. Their faces were equally red with near identical teeth-baring snarls and angry, yet shocked, glares.

Al expected Ed to be shocked after a statement like that, but Winry also looked surprised and perhaps a little guilty? Al wasn't sure what emotions were swimming just underneath the blondes' expressions. What he did know was that they made quite a sight. It wasn't often their fights were so serious or so close to the subject matter of Ed and Al's greatest sin and longest quest.

Typically, Al stood back for fights like these, in order to let his brother and friend hash it out on their own. It was usually better for all three of them if he let them finish the fights that they started. And Al had more than once been the figurative 'whipping boy' when intervening in some divided topic.

But this time… this argument was different. He could see they were getting very personal very quickly. The line was as thin as he'd ever seen it drawn between the two. Al never liked seeing anyone disagree, least of all his brother and best friend. And he could admit that, selfishly, he just didn't want to miss out on their plans for the day and be faced with them both sulking.

Whatever his brother and friend needed to work out they could do on their OWN time he decided, clamping a heavy hand down on each Ed and Winry's shoulders.

"Ok that's enough!" He yelled to get their attention before softening his voice, "I know this feels a lot like old times and we're almost reliving the glory days – but do we HAVE to revert to the problem solving skills of 6 year olds?" He pleaded, holding his nonexistent breath in anticipation of their reactions.

* * *

WHAT!! …no-fluff? Where did it go? LOL I'm wondering if I surprised you. I hope I did. I felt like this story was getting a little… flat. (even with all the stuffing) So I sprinkled in some conflict. Hope I didn't throw you too bad!

My next update will most likely be slow in coming. Spring and summer is passing me by and I have SO MUCH WORK to get done on my house before the winter comes, that I fear less time will be dedicated to my favorite past time. Never fear though, I won't be abandoning anything, just taking a little more time as I tend to some other much-needed items. I also may – MAY – post a story or two I have sitting around on my hard drive. (It's a good thing computer files don't collect dust!)

As always, thank you so much for reading!


End file.
